At the Speed of Light
by Kayla Jane
Summary: The persistent Kid Flash has taken a liking to Jinx. He's convinced that Jinx CAN make her own choices, and that she was meant for more than petty crimes. Can Jinx hold him off, or will his boyish charms win her over? COMPLETE!
1. Red Rose, Red Rose

**Disclaimer**: I _don't_ believe I will _ever_ own Teen Titans.

**Summary**: Jinx flipped the blanket over head and looked up quickly… only to bump noses with _the_ Kid Flash…

* * *

Jinx twirled the rose idly between her long fingers, stroking the green stem softly. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling quietly. She looked at the rose, pressing it to her lips softly, nibbling on the stained petals. She closed her pink eyes, thinking to herself.

It was many days after the encounter with Rouge and the boy, Flash. And yet, she still hung onto the single rose he had left behind for her. Why, she did not know. The petals were beginning to droop lifelessly, even though she kept the flower in a glass vase of fresh water each day. But she handled it so much that the poor thing was beginning to wilt.

Jinx sighed and sat up, placing the flower on her bedside table. She stared at the red colors and touched it carefully, gently. She pulled her hand back with a low sigh though, and stood, ready to roam the streets once more, plundering as she pleased and hurting without a care.

**_0/0/0_**

Jinx walked, a small smile etched on her face. She did not care to walk the streets, but rather preferred the rooftops, where she would not be bothered. She scratched her arm and leaned down on a balcony, right outside a bedroom window.

This was the good part of town, the place where little kids were snob and parents bought them whatever they wanted in a heartbeat. The balcony she was on was lovely, and, as she gazed behind her through the glass doors, it seemed to be right outside a little girl's room. Jinx merely shrugged the thought away and placed both elbows on the railing, enjoying the view.

She had been there a while when a rustle of curtains and scramble of a doorknob caught her ears. She whipped around, just in time to see a little girl step out on the cold floor of the balcony. Jinx observed the girl quickly.

She seemed to be very young, as she was hugging a stuffed rabbit to her side. Her hair was pulled back in a very loose ponytail, and the ends of the light brown hair curled wistfully. She was in a nightgown, the little dress billowing around her ankles in the light breeze. The little girl stared up at Jinx with pale blue eyes.

Jinx stared right back, a confident look covering her face. The pair remained silent. Jinx turned back to the view of housetops and trees swaying gently, and the girl spoke.

"You have pink hair."

Jinx eyes widened in surprise. Many children would raise their voices to the sky, scream for daddy and the shotgun, and Jinx would have to climb up the rooftops once more, looking for a new spot to gaze quietly at the paved streets and fresh leaves. Jinx soon regained her composure though, and nodded. "Yep."

The little girl padded over to stand by Jinx, and Jinx looked down on her little curls. The girl gazed back up at her. "Your eyes are pink, too."

"Yep." Jinx placed a hand on her cheek, propping up her slim elbows. The girl dropped her gaze from Jinx and looked off the balcony, her eyes barely skirting the top of the railing. The two stood there for many a moment, and then the little girl interrupted the silence once more.

"It's my bedtime." Jinx nodded and stood up, stretching her arms. It was getting late; the sun was setting quickly under the horizon. She prepared to leap over the balcony railing and out of sight, but the little girl stopped her. "Wait." The little girl pulled her limp rabbit higher, squeezing it under her armpit. "Will you tuck me in?"

Jinx eyes widened once more, the cat slits expanding. _No harm in it_. Jinx nodded her head and crept away from the balcony's edge. The little girl placed her hand on the doorknob of the glass doors and twisted, opening the entrance wide. She pranced in, beckoned Jinx to follow, and pulled herself onto the tall, blue bed. Jinx paused in the doorway.

There were stuffed animals everywhere. Drawings of scribbles and weirdly drawn people were scattered over the floor and hung, pinned, to a large bulletin board. Jinx walked over to the girl, who had hastily pulled herself under the covers. The girl giggled, pulling the pale yellow rabbit tighter to her side. Jinx sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the covers in both hands and tucked them around the little girl's neck.

The child yawned and looked at Jinx sleepily. Jinx patted the girls head, and, with a final tug of the soft covers, was poised by the balcony doors once more. The little girl turned over in bed as Jinx stepped out onto the balcony. She yawned again as Jinx was about to close the doors, and said quietly, "My name is Katherine. But you can call me Kat."

Jinx looked back at the girl, able to hear her final words before she drifted off to dreamland. "I'm Jinx." Jinx shut the door quietly, hearing the click of the lock, and jumped from the balcony, spinning gracefully in the air.

**_0/0/0_**

Jinx entered the door to the place where she and her evil buddies hung out. High-tech gear was scattered all over the floor, and Jinx stepped over it quickly, picking out the clear spots in the mangled battlefield of metal and wires. She made her way to a swivel chair, one that spun and moved on wheels. She sat down on it, looking up at the many screens that monitored her home.

The first screen was empty; it showed a hallway to the control room. The corridor was empty and forlorn. Jinx skipped the next screen; Gizmo could be seen clearly working on some stupid device. She moved over to the next, which showed the giant, Mammoth, making a sandwich of gigantic proportions. Jinx rolled her eyes, skipping over the next screen. See-more was out, scanning the city, and the Kid Wicked was also of unknown whereabouts. Billy Numerous was playing tennis with himself.

Jinx continued scanning the many screens until her eyes came to a rest upon her own doorway. Suddenly, a blur of red and yellow caught her eye. It flashed past her room a couple of times, and then paused, and the owner of the blur made himself known.

Jinx leaned forward in her seat quickly, a frown etching itself over the pretty features of her face. She jumped up, both hands on the control board. She growled as the Kid Flash leaned down, dropped something, and then zoomed away again. She ran to the stair doorway and pounded down the steps, quickly making her way to her room.

As she came to a stop by the sliding metal doors, she looked left, right, and left again. No sign of him was anywhere near. She looked down at her boots. She gasped, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.

A single, pale rose lay on the floor outside her doorway. As Jinx knelt to pick the little flower up, a note fluttered from the petals to the floor. She picked that up gently, and examined the card.

It was messily put together. Just a slip of white paper folded in two. It had her name on the front scrawled in hasty letters. She flipped open the card and read the contents quickly.

_Jinx- Thought your first rose was getting old. Dropped you a new one._

There was a lightning bolt scribbled as a signature mark. Jinx opened her room door and stepped inside. She skimmed the note again, rolled her eyes and tossed it into the trash. Jinx twirled the rose between her long, gray fingers, and jumped onto her bed.

Crossing her legs over one another, she looked at the flower. It was a paler pink then the last, and looked as if it had been freshly trimmed from a bush. Jinx grinned slightly to herself and, pulling the old, wilted rose from the vase, dropped the new one inside.

Jinx sighed, propped her back up against her headboard and thought about all that had happened today. She had met someone who, for once, did not judge her upon her appearance. Someone who only wanted to be friends. Jinx smiled. She could get used to that.

And then, Flash had stopped by again. How he got past the security in the first place, Jinx would never know. They had turned it up a notch since Flash had wreaked havoc upon their home a week ago.

Jinx sat up on her bed. She pulled her feet up to her and unzipped the long boots, flinging them off. Her dark striped stockings clung to her legs tightly. She curled her toes, smiling a bit. Jinx stepped off the bed and peeled off her skirt, then her black and purple tights. She unbuttoned her top and folded everything neatly. She moved to her dresser, shivering, and pulled out her pajamas. It was a simple t-shirt and shorts. That was something she was most comfortable in.

After slipping into them, she pulled off the black bands that held her pink hair into its horn-like position. The thick mass of hair fell about her shoulders. She picked up a brush, and, sitting at her mirror, brushed through it. As she finished, she jumped back onto the bed, slipping under the covers quietly.

She shivered in the darkness as she flipped off the light, and pulled the thin blanket material around her neck tighter. She laid her head upon her pillow and closed her eyes, unaware of the surprises soon to come.

Not to mention the danger, too.

* * *

**A/N**: hope you liked this first chapter. Please review for me! 


	2. Unexpected Surprises

**Disclaimer**: Me no own T/T.

**Chapter Two: Unexpected Surprises**

It was another week before the mysterious Kid Flash dropped by again. Jinx was at her balcony, or, rather, Kat's balcony, when a gust of wind made her shiver and clutch her arms. She blinked, and, there, on the railing was another rose. This one was deep red. Jinx picked it up and sniffed deeply, inhaling the sweet scent. She looked it over and again leaned over the balcony.

Then she heard the soft fluttering of paper, and the gentle _scritch_ of it on the base of the balcony. She turned her head, looking at the note that had fallen from the clouds. She growled, stooped to pick it up and gazed up above her.

Nothing but the side of the building and empty skies.

Jinx rubbed her eyes and sat with her back against the glass doors. She saw her name once more scrawled on the front of the note. She flipped it open and skimmed to the bottom of the note, checking to make sure the signature lightning bolt was there.

It was.

Jinx darted back up to the beginning word. Her name.

_Jinx- Thought it about time you got a new one. Meet me in the alley over by your favorite café. Tonight at 10:00. I'll be waiting._

Jinx scowled, crumpled up the letter and tossed it over the railing of the balcony, not caring where it landed. She huffed, crossing her arms.

He thought that she would just willingly follow his orders like a child? Pssh. Forget that. She would leave him standing in the rain, a rose in hand, sobbing because she didn't come.

Jinx grinned wickedly. She chuckled softly at the thought of him in his sopping hero suit, walking off in the pouring rain, head down, shoulders slumped. Jinx stood to make her way back to base. She put one foot on the railing, lifting herself up onto the edge when the now all-too-familiar voice paused her in the process.

"Wait, Jinx. Won't you tuck me in again?"

Jinx turned to see Katherine rubbing her eyes once more, the faithful bunny glued to her side. Jinx's eyes crinkled in a smile, and she leapt down from the railing. Kat lifted her hand to Jinx's own, and Jinx gripped it tenderly.

Kat led Jinx into her room again, and she jumped onto the bed. She wiggled underneath her covers and sat, propped up against the fluffy pillows, hands clasped together patiently. "Will you tell me a bedtime story?"

Jinx frowned, rubbing her chin. "Uh, sure." She moved over to sit beside Kat in the bed. Kat wriggled underneath her arm, leaning against her side. Jinx gladly slumped against her, happy to be in the position. "Okay. Once upon a time, there was a very pretty girl. She lived in-"

"What was her name?"

"Katherine."

Kat smiled.

"Anyways, she lived out in the country with her grandma. One day-"

"Where were her mommy and daddy?"

"I don't know. One day, Katherine walked into the woods to pick berries for her grandma."

"Why?"

"Because her grandma wanted to bake a pie or something. So, she was in the woods, when she heard a really loud crying, you know? Like, someone was hurt and in trouble. Katherine ran to the noise and found a deer with its foot stuck in a metal trap."

"Why was the deers in the trap?"

"Well, I suppose it just got stuck there. Anyways, Katherine said, 'What can I do to help you?'" Jinx bit her lip, struggling to make up new words for her story. "And… the deer said to her, 'Release my foot from this trap and I will give you three wishes!'"

Kat grinned, her eyes sparkling brightly. "Oh! It was a magic deers!"

"Yep." Jinx shrugged away from Kat as she looked out of the glass doors. "Hey, Kat?"

"Mmhmm?"

"I need to go. I'll come back soon to finish the story, alright?" Kat frowned, then nodded her head reluctantly. "Good girl. Bye. And sweet dreams." Jinx moved to the doors, opened one, and slipped out quietly. She shut it gently behind her, and leaped off the balcony edge.

_**0/0/0**_

Jinx leaned against the side of a brick building, her top catching on the roughness slightly. She sighed, watching her breath puff out in the crisp afternoon air. Winter was beginning to settle on Jump City, and Jinx could feel Jack Frost nipping the edge of her nose. She growled and pushed off the side, moving down an alleyway to make her way home.

She soon stood out of the entrance. She slid in and worked her way through the ever growing piles of junk left around by various HIVE "Six" team members. With a sigh she sat back into the swivel chair and monitored the video cameras.

Suddenly, a loud clanking filled the spacious room. Jinx rolled her eyes and turned to see the little Gizmo walk in on mechanical legs. Jinx winced as a horrible screeching filled her sensitive ears. "I thought the metal man screwed those up."

"He _did_." Gizmo collapsed on the floor, the metal legs folding in on top of him. He pushed the long legs away from him and clambered up to Jinx. She turned away from his squinty-eyed face. "Whatcha doing?"

"Ignoring you."

"Well, you aren't doing a very good job of it, are you?"

Jinx scowled. Her eyes glowed pink and in the next second Gizmo was ten feet away and on the floor, sizzling.

"What in the… Old hag." Gizmo stalked out of the surveillance room, dragging his dead mechanical legs with him. Jinx settled back in her chair. She crossed her legs, Indian style, and spun herself in the chair.

Slowly, the minutes ticked by until it was fifteen 'til ten o'clock. Jinx inched her way to the edge of her seat, watching the digital clock nervously. She bit her lip, then growled at herself and crossed her arms. With a huff, she blew a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.

_This is insane. _She told herself._ Why am I anxious? _Jinx pushed the floor with her feet and went spinning off on the cool, smooth floor. She smiled gleefully in her head, but kept a straight face on the outside. Jinx stopped the chair suddenly, and, pushing off again, sent it in the other direction. She bumped into the operating desk and stepped slowly out of the chair. Her legs wobbled, but her head soon straightened out and she made her way down the flight of stairs to her room.

Jinx started pacing the floor nervously in her room. She flopped onto the bed and chewed her fingernails, looking at her clock. Five minutes 'til ten. Jinx sat up, hunched forward. She glared at the clock, picking up a pad of paper and squiggling random lines all over. She grinned stupidly, and then smacked her forehead.

_Idiot,_ she thought. _I'm a dork_. She flopped over to bury her face in her pillow when a suspicious knocking filled the room. It was that stupid tune, _dink-da-da-dink-dink, dink-dink. _Jinx had a horrible feeling that she knew who it was. She froze, not making a sound, and the person at the door continued knocking.

Finally, an echo sounded out from beyond the metal door. "Everyone decent?"

Jinx did not respond, merely groped wildly for a blanket and pulled it over herself. Why, she did not know. She heard the weird buzzing sound, then soft footsteps. "Get out." She muttered.

"You know, it's impolite to refuse a meeting… thingy."

Jinx flipped the blanket from over her head and looked up quickly… only to bump noses with _the_ Kid Flash.

**A/N**: -sigh- don't you absolutely _love_ cliff-hangers?

I formally thank the following people for reviewing on my story:

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	3. Taking Out the Trash

**Chapter 3: Taking Out the Trash**

Jinx widened her eyes as their noses smooshed together, and Kid Flash looked around and gave a weak chuckle. Jinx's eyes began to glow the familiar neon color, and Kid Flash shot off, hitting the wall and bringing down posters and pictures in frames. She scowled, jumping from the bed gracefully and landing with her finger an inch from Flash's nose, the tip sparkling with wild pink electricity.

"What are you doing here?" she said in a demanding voice.

Kid Flash focused on her finger, his eyes crossing stupidly. The blue ice that was his eyes shot up, found Jinx, looked to the finger and moved upwards once more. "Well… isn't it obvious?"

Jinx growled, a cry of frustration vibrating through her throat. She pushed her finger to touch Kid Flash's nose, and he shivered, little bolts of electricity shooting through him at a hundred miles a minute. "I said, -- what -- are you doing here?"

Kid Flash looked side to side, grinned cheekily, and rolled out of the way, well, quick as a flash. Jinx turned to see him sitting on top of her dresser, swinging his legs lazily. Jinx sighed. "Just _tell_ me!"

Kid Flash picked up her hairbrush and examined it. "You didn't meet me where you were supposed to."

Jinx shifted her eyes, trying to come up with a response. "Ever heard of being fashionably late?"

Kid Flash pondered this, his finger on the side of his chin. He grinned. "No. But, then again, I never thought of you as 'fashionable.'". Jinx growled and her eyes became pink, her hair flew up, and pink bolts of superheated electricity shot from her fingertips.

The space where Kid Flash had been was empty, and her mirror cracked horribly. She sighed, placing a hand over her eyes. "You know, I'm going to have to replace that for the third time this month."

A voice came from beside her ear. "I know."

She turned, and their foreheads smashed. A small grunt of pain came from both, and both reached up to rub the sore spot. Jinx watched as Kid Flash put a finger to his forehead, poking, and his eyes squinted up. She chuckled. _Funny little boy… When will you learn?_

"Get _out_ of my room."

"You sound like my little sister."

Jinx cocked an eyebrow. "You have a sister?"

"No. But if I did, and it was you, you'd be the most annoying little sister on the face of the earth."

Jinx scowled.

"Don't look at me like that-"

Jinx growled. "Get _out_, before I do something… drastic."

"Like what?"

Jinx swung her arm back and brought her hand up to meet Kid Flash's cheek, but was caught in the process.

"You know I'm too fast for that."

Jinx smirked evilly and said, "Frosting on the cake."

"What?"

"You forgot the frosting on the cake."

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes went pink, her hand shuddered, and Kid Flash froze. "That." She pried Kid Flash's fingers away from her wrist, and put a finger on his chest. She pushed. He fell.

Stepping over his limp body, Jinx strode sassily towards the door. She swung her communicator off her belt and pushed a button, hearing the slight crackling sound. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she leaned against her doorframe.

"Mammoth. Come in. This is Jinx."

A short, low-pitched grunt came as the reply.

Jinx looked to Kid Flash, her eyes lighting up in mischief. "I want you to come down to my room…" she grinned evilly. "…and take out the trash."

Jinx muttered a goodbye and hooked the walkie-talkie to her belt once more, moving to kneel over Kid Flash. She sat by his head, examining him. "You're not a bad-lookin boy." She observed. Jinx ran her grayish fingers through the tips of Kid Flash's hair, playing with the red mess goofily. She smiled, then made a pouting face. "Too bad you can't come see me again sometime."

Seizing his wrist, Jinx stood and dragged him towards her door. For such a strong, well-worked out boy, Kid Flash was rather light. She grunted as she dropped him by the frame, then kicked him out the rest of the way. With a flirty look she winked and blew a kiss, and twinkled her fingers before her door slid shut with a snapping sound.

Jinx moved to her bed, giggling. She grabbed her pillow and whomped herself with it, collapsing on the bed. With a sigh she heard the sounds of clumsy Mammoth moving down the hallway, then the chuckle as he saw Kid Flash, unconscious, lying by her doorframe. She could only just picture his satisfied smile as he swung Kid Flash up onto his shoulders and clambered up the stairs and out of the base to drop him in the smelly dumpster nearby.

Jinx smiled as she fell asleep that night.

It had been a satisfying day.

* * *

**A/N**: Whee! You know, this was quite the fun chapter to write. Sorry it's short and sorry I took a little while to update, but hey, I'm happy with this little chapter.

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**A/N: **If you guys have any comments, questions or suggestions, I'm happy to answer! Please review.


	4. Author's Note

To All my Fans:

I'm sorry I haven't been able to update. My parents have grounded me for bad grades. –sob- I'll try to get back on as soon as I can, but for now I'm like a duck without wings. Sorry! I hope you can wait a little longer.

-saphiraemrys


	5. ANOTHER Author's Note

Again, sorry for the delay. I was allowed on recently and have been working on the chapter, but one again grades have reinforced and attacked me. I'm now on a 1-2 hour limit. It's difficult, but I'm working. Don't worry!

saphiraemrys


	6. Discovered

**Chapter 4: Discovered**

The stars were out.

Jinx watched, crouching in the darkness, as the little girl smooshed her nose against the glass door. She saw Kat crouch down and pick up her fallen rabbit, then reach a hand up to the doorknob and twist it gently. She heard the pitter-patter of little feet, then the gasp of pleasure at the shining dots of white light floating in the black-blue sky.

Jinx's eyes poured over the figure of the child, one hand on the banister, the other tucked into her side, suffocating the limp ragged rabbit hanging there. The girl looked around, and then whispered, "Jinx?"

Jinx smiled, her normally frowning lips curving. She grabbed the rain gutter from the roof and swung herself to the balcony railing below, stepping lightly from the stone to the cool ground. Kat smiled. She turned to walk into her room and Jinx followed, knowing where this was heading. Kat struggled to climb into her bed, and Jinx nudged her up. She clambered on herself, pushed Kat under the covers, and sat down beside her.

Kat grinned up at her. "Now will you finish your story?"

Jinx looked side to side, examining her surroundings. "Yes."

"Yeah!" Kat turned to lie on her stomach. "Tell it, tell it, tellit, tellit, tellittellittellit!"

Jinx put her hand over Katherine's very active mouth. "Shh. Someone will come in."

Katherine pushed Jinx's hand away. "Okay." she whispered.

"Well, where were we?" Jinx put a finger to her chin in imaginary thought. "Oh, yeah. 'I will give you three wishes!' Katherine was very happy at this." Jinx furrowed her brow. "So Katherine raced back to her home, and got the ax she used to chop wood with. She ran back as fast as she could, and swung the ax down on the metal, and the whole thing shattered to pieces. The deer was free."

Jinx glanced down to see her affect on Katherine. The girl was big-eyed and silent. Successful so far. She continued, "So Katherine helped the deer get up, and it said, 'What will your wishes be? I made a promise, and I always keep promises.' Katherine thought and thought and thought, and finally she said, 'I wish for….'"

Jinx looked down to Kat, inclining her head. Kat looked around frantically until her eyes fell to her stuffed animal, lying abandoned by her arm. She snatched it and snuggled it to her chin. "A _bunny_!" she yelled enthusiastically.

Jinx smacked her hand over Kat's mouth once more, and listened attentively. Sure enough, footsteps could be heard advancing down the hallway Jinx knew was just outside the door. She looked around, and then swung herself over Katherine and to the floor on the other side of the bed. Just as the door opened, she dropped to the floor, rolling under the little bed.

"Katherine? What are you doing in here?" Jinx kept her eyes level to the floor and saw a pair of tennis shoes. The voice wasn't deep, but was definitely male. The shoes moved towards the bed, and Jinx saw jean leg bottoms. She smiled; the boy was probably her age. He sounded like it.

"I was talking to Bell." Jinx gave Kat credit. To think of an excuse so fast was odd for a young girl.

"Mmhm." Jinx smiled. The boy didn't believe her. He moved back towards the door, and Jinx saw more of his legs. She closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Kat."

"Night, night, James." The light turned off, the door snapped shut. Jinx rolled out from under the bed, and stood up, brushing her skirt off.

All of a sudden the light turned back on. Everything was bright. The boys' voice came in saying, "Oh, yeah, Kat, Mom wanted me to-"

Jinx froze. James froze. In a split-second Jinx examined him. He was not too tall, but good-sized, and muscular. He wore a maroon T-shirt, loose jeans. His hair was sandy-blonde, darker then his sisters, and his eyes were hazel. There was a light splash of freckles across his nose.

Jinx almost gaped at him. He was cute. Then she snapped back, out of her daze. Out of the shock. And both teenagers blew up. James started yelling. He rushed forward; grabbed Kat roughly, started dragging her out of her bed. Kat screamed, she cried, she fought James.

And while all this went on, Jinx moved silently, gracefully. Calmly, even. She moved to the door, pushed it open, and flew off the balcony. She landed on the street below with not but a quiet thump, then moved into the darkness once more.

* * *

So stupid. Jinx had been so stupid. She had not waited the mandatory twenty to thirty seconds before moving. She had not immediately escaped, but stood there, letting the boy examine her. Now his parents would call the police. He would be able to give an accurate description. She would have to stay low.

Jinx fled to a nearby garbage can. Beside the can were many empty cardboard boxes. She dug through, and then found her box, the one with the Starbucks logo on it. She pulled a hoodie out. It was getting closer to winter. She was still a girl, still liked to dress normally. She pulled it on, pushed the hood up over her face, shadowing her.

She ran. Down and down and down. Taking side-alleys, jumping over parked cars, living in the shadows.

So, so stupid.

Jinx slowed down, took a left at this upcoming turn, adjusted her hood, and pulled back her hair into a low ponytail instead of the usual devil horns. It was much easier to keep hidden this way. She kept her chin low. She stopped at a glass door with a steaming cup of tea painted on the door.

She sighed. Her favorite café. It was small, and dumpy, but had a bit of taste to it, and was always open late, always had a small crowd. She moved in, sat in the back, laid low.

It was a good place to hang out in, and no one questioned her because this was the bad part of town, and it was better to not know names then to know them. It was a walk-in, get your coffee, get your tea, get your muffin, leave and leave fast sort of place.

Jinx loved it.

And one might not think she was the tea-sit and read a book type. But then, one can often be mistaken about police reports, Titan interviews, and bad-guy names. It was just a different side, in a way.

Jinx was pulled out of her thoughts as a young girl approached her. She was thin, had jeans and a T-shirt and the little apron thing around her waist. She looked tired. "Hi. What can I do for you?"

Jinx diverted her eyes, hoping the girl wouldn't notice the hot-pink color, and, if she did, assume they were those colored contacts. "Peach tea, hot. The sweet kind." She examined the girl once again as she scribbled down Jinx's order.

Long brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, no eye make-up, other then a minimal amount of mascara. She yawned, "Sorry." The girl grinned. "It'll be-"

"Three bucks, I know." She placed the money onto the table. Jinx hoped the no one would ask where she got it.

The girl smiled softly. "Be out in a minute."

As the girl walked away, Jinx frowned. She was a new waitress to be sure. The girl was young, not over fifteen, and had to live and work in a dump like this. Jinx didn't feel bad, but she didn't feel good either.

A ring at the door brought her out of her thoughts. She glanced over, then cursed silently and pulled the hood over her eyes more tightly.

It was Kid Flash.

Of all the stupid tricks! She cursed, and then became silent once more, burrowing deeply into the hard chair. She was glad her usual spot was open. And, looking up at the old clock on the wall, that was wrong half the time, she noticed what time it was, and cursed herself even more.

Ten 'o' clock.

How predictable.

Jinx hoped the girl would hurry with her tea so she could leave. Kid Flash looked around, Jinx watched out of the corner of her eye, and sat at the table at the other end of the shop. _Good boy,_ she thought. _Stay away or I'll crush you. Good boy._

His eyes flicked toward her, and she barely glanced away in time, hoping her neon hair was not astray, as it usually was so many other nights.

Ah, here she comes. The waitress came out, steaming paper cup and lid in hand. To Jinx she looked like a knight(ess) in shining armour. Jinx let her come by, and drop off the tea. She moved away, knowing to pick up the money when Jinx left. Jinx sipped her tea. Still hot.

She was hasty to get out of here. Jinx became fidgety. Kid Flash seemed to be glancing over more and more at her. Did he recognize her? Jinx threw another dollar on the table, to help the girl. She hoped not. With a clatter she knocked over the napkin dispenser at her table, hit the bell to signal she was leaving, and got up, rushing to leave, tea in hand.

She rushed out; her hood flying back as she reached the door and the cold night air came in. She glanced back; saw Kid Flash's eyes staring at her.

She wished, hoped, with all her dreams, all her life, all the thoughts her mind had ever thought that he didn't think she had come for him. Didn't think she had come to meet him.

Didn't come because she loved him.

Because that would be inaccurate.

She didn't.

**A/N: **Oh, Lord, help me, I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long! After one somewhat forceful comment I told myself to stop lolly-gagging and get to work. I wrote and updated this chapter all in one day for you all. Again, my apologies!

My faithful reviewers for this chapter are:

**Blue Suede Sandals**

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**Jessie **(I would like to make a note to your comment. Thank you for putting it so politely, but this fanfic will _never go **M**ature_. I don't write sex scenes (lemons). I never have, and I _never_ will. It's out of my personality and I think it's stupid, really.)

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**A/N:** Thanks to those who reviewed and made comments to my author's notes. Thanks you SO MUCH for being SO patient with me. I'm sorry about the delay, I really am!


	7. Spilt Tea and Exotic Places

**Chapter 5: Spilt Tea and Exotic Places**

_Warning: This chapter contains a tiny bit of "language"._

Jinx was running now. The tea was jumping out of that little hole in the top of her lid. Scorching her hand. She moved to duck into an alley, but a hand stopped her shoulder.

Shoot.

Jinx's eyes narrowed as she turned to look behind her. And of course, it was him.

Jinx straightened her spine, lifted her chin. "_Now_ what do you want?"

Kid Flash seemed surprised. Astonished even. He stuttered, "Y-you went in? Ten?"

Jinx rolled her eyes, slapping his hand away from her shoulder. "Yes. But it wasn't for _you_. Gods no. Just because I went in to get something doesn't mean I wanted to meet _you_. You know, it was my café first." Jinx spun her heels on the pavement. "Bug off."

Kid Flash paused, and then strode beside her, his pace even with her own. The color was starting to come back to his cheeks. "Well, I can go there to. And if we happen to meet up, we happen to meet up."

"Oh, no." Jinx stopped suddenly.

"What?" Kid Flash stopped too, stumbling.

Jinx turned to him. "In no way will you follow me, try to "meet up" with me, leave notes by my room, or investigate into my life." She put a hand on his chest, pushing him up against the dirty, graffiti-decorated wall. "Got it?"

Kid Flash nodded calmly. Jinx let go, sipped her now-warm tea, and continued to move away. Kid Flash walked behind her, then did a funny thing.

He started creeping about, jumping very visibly into the shadows, pausing, and running quickly to hide in another. Then, oddly enough, he started singing James Bond music.

"Dun dun, dundundun, dun, dun dun dun, dun, dundun, dun, dananaaaa, dananaaaa, dananaaaa, danuh." He rolled over in front of Jinx pitifully, his hands made into the shape of guns, and Jinx rolled her eyes.

"What in heaven's name are you doing, you idiot?"

Kid Flash paused, got up, brushed off his pants, and said, "Well, you never mentioned anything about stalking. So, I'm stalking you."

Jinx smacked her forehead, walking forward again. Kid Flash ran up beside her, then reached out and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, you are a bold one-"

Suddenly, colors blurred all around Jinx. Air blasted against her face. Her near-full paper cp of tea fell away. Jinx didn't see where it landed, or even if it landed at all. She was falling, no, flying… She couldn't tell. Everything was a mess around her. She couldn't see anything, she couldn't hear anything. Jinx flailed her arms, looking for something to hold on to. She found Kid Flash. His face was in a sloppy grin, his hand clutched to her shoulder tightly. She screamed as a loud sound blasted into her ear, then flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around Kid Flash's neck, her face buried into his shoulder out of fear.

And then it stopped.

Kid Flash put his hand on her arm, prying it away from his neck. Jinx looked up at him.

"Uhm. Hi?"

Suddenly, Jinx's knees felt weak. She cursed Kid Flash, and then fell in an angry puddle at his feet. She held her head, curled up on the ground. It was throbbing horribly. "Whatthe_ hell _didyou_ do?_" She felt blood in her mouth. With a whimper, she discovered she had bitten into her cheek.

Kid Flash shrugged. "I ran."

Jinx moaned, her legs were shaky, her head was hurting, her arms were sore, and her cheek burned. She felt like she was going to throw up. "Ugh… Well, dammit, don't ever, _ever_ do that again!"

Kid Flash chuckled. "Then how are we going to get back to Jump City?" He gestured around him.

Jinx looked up.

_Oh, crap._

They were at the base of a triangular structure made out of hard, muddy, sandy blocks. She gasped, then, looked out in front of her.

There was a sunset. The colors painted the sky orange, pink, red, purple. Kid Flash offered a hand to her, muttering something about, "view's better up here" and she took it, not thinking.

The sand seemed to stretch out for miles. Her hand flew up to her mouth, and she whispered, "Wow."

There was a deep blue river winding its way along in the distance, and a small clutter of palm trees dotted the horizon rarely. There were camels out there, too. But it was the sun that really caught her attention.

It was fiery, red, and was _huge_. It covered a portion of the sky easily, making its way slowly down through the sand. Jinx looked up. Clouds were nonexistent. Colors filled the sky, and Jinx looked over to Kid Flash.

He was watching her reaction. "Do you like it?"

Jinx's pride got the best of her. "No. I hate it. I want to go home."

"Okay. Come here." Kid Flash looked a little disappointed, but he quickly seemed to get over it. He held out his arms, obviously thinking that Jinx would come in and hold onto him.

"Are you kidding me? No, way." Jinx shook her head. "You almost killed me! I'm not doing that again!"

Kid Flash shrugged. "This is the only way."

Jinx looked around. "No it's not." She bit her lip, then said confidently, "I'll walk." She huffed, crossing her arms, then started to stride out into the desert.

"You can't walk… we're like half way around the world!"

Jinx turned her chin up and closed her eyes. "Watch me."

"You're crazy."

"Looked in the mirror lately?"

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's a great comeback… Very original."

"Leave me alone."

Kid Flash shrugged again, his shoulders moving up and down calmly. "Well, if that's what you want…"

Jinx continued to walk away. "Yes, that's what I want!"

"Okay… adios!"

And then he was gone.

Jinx wheeled around. She was really alone now. Really alone. She started to bite her lip, then stopped and continued walking. But her steps faltered with every stride. She had _no_ idea where she was. Obviously in some desert, but which one?

She started to panic. She might die out here. Or starve. Or dehydrate and die. She might never see anyone every again. Kat would never know. That boy James wouldn't know. Nobody would know.

Fear settled in.

There were spiders and scorpions and stuff.

And now she got _really_ scared. Tears formed up in her eyes. _Gonna die, gonna die, I'm gonna die._

The tears ran down her face. She had been stupid, letting him go like that. Kid Flash. She should have gone home when she had the chance. So now she gave up.

"Kid Flash?" Jinx yelled shakily. "Okay, I'm ready now."

No reply.

"I want to go home now!" She said louder.

No reply.

She started bawling. "_NOW!_"

"Okay, okay." Jinx turned.

He was there. Just standing there. He smiled cockily, holding out his hand. Jinx wiped her eyes and her nose.

"I hate you, and this is the first _and last_ time you'll ever, ever do that, got it?" She moved forward, putting her hand into his own.

"Yessir." With a jerk, Kid Flash yanked Jinx forward, looping his arm underneath her legs. He hoisted her up, shifting her weight to make her comfortable.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you home."

Jinx nodded. "Okay."

"Okay."

And he did.

_A/N:_ I know most of you didn't like the end of the last chapter, so, I put in a little bit of sweet stuff at the end. A bit more… _fluffy_. Hope you liked it better!

My reviewers are….

Shay Bo Bay

mtm123

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ToCoOLfOrU


	8. The Changes

_**A/N:** I am sorry about the wait. This time it wasn't grounded or grades, it was just me being lazy. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better about it._

_Oh, and you all are welcome to yell at me if you so wish._

**Chapter Six: The Changes**

Jinx pulled back her leg again, made a slight grunt, and swung it forward, hitting the thickly padded punching bag swiftly. Her boots made contact, sinking deeply into the material before dropping away. She bounced on her toes, then fell back into sync and kicked at the bag once more. Again. Again.

Her gloved hands soon took their turn, smacking into the slick surface. She sounded out a sort of war cry, balling up her fists and punching repeatedly. Her breath came rapidly; sweat making rivulets down the sides of her face. Strands of her neon hair came down from its ponytail, hanging messily in her pink eyes. Her cheeks were bright red, eyes tired.

Soon enough, she stopped, folding her hands on top of her head weakly. Her workout was done for the day. Grabbing a cold water bottle from the floor, she exited the small, mirrored room. Twisting the cap off, she went up the short flight of stairs and plopped down into the now all too familiar swivel chair.

Jinx frowned as she kicked away a tangled mass of wires, and turned to the many screens. Her eyes scanned them. All was well. Or… wait… what? She leaned closer, gray fingertips poised over the control board. What was that speck of white? The whole building was metal… a uniform gray color.

She sighed, recognizing the white item's surroundings. Typical… right by her room.

She sighed, rose, and moved toward the staircase, abandoning the swivel chair. Her booted feet swiftly hurried down the steps, and she rushed to her room, looking at the door. Stuck into the keypad was a note.

When she opened it, the signature lightning bolt was the first thing she noticed. Her eyes flicked back to the top of the note, and she read.

_Jinx- _

_I'd bring you another rose… but I think I should actually give it to you this time. So, why don't you meet me at the café again, at 8? I think you would enjoy it. _

Jinx sighed, more frustrated this time. She let her head turn from side to side, confirming she was alone, and then cried out, "Why won't he leave me alone?!" She touched her forehead, rubbing her temples softly. Pressing a complicated number combination onto the keypad, the door made the odd buzzing sound and opened, and she stepped in.

When in she tossed the note into the trash and collapsed onto the bed, pondering. Her first thought was to leave him there, like she had before, but that had cost her another mirror. She didn't want her room destroyed again. But if she went…

She shuddered. Going was not an option. But staying wasn't either. What to do…? Drifting off, memories of Katherine came to mind. The little brown-haired girl. Jinx smiled at the thought of her high-pitched giggles, her inquiring pale blue eyes, and her soft curls. Jinx couldn't help but miss her playful smile.

Suddenly a thought came to mind. Kat! She could stay with her. It was perfect. The child would want to be tucked into bed, then be asleep throughout the rest of the night, and Jinx would be free to sleep on the rooftop, or just sit contentedly.

But wait… the boy. She bit her lip. It was near two weeks after the incident. Would they still be on high alert? She shook her head. Even so, she was a professional. Top-notch. Cream of the crop. The best. Well, in her age group, anyways. She rolled her eyes. Best in Jump City then. She could handle anything.

Then it was settled. A shower and then onto the rooftops.

* * *

Jinx hung upside down, her hair held into the devil-horn shape easily. Her pink eyes glistened, observing the area around her. Her treetop perch was a perfect view of Kat's balcony, and the area surrounding. Nothing. There were no cameras, no police cars, no guns, and –it looked like—no security alarms. Though there probably were. She swung back up, righting herself on the branch. Crawling forward, she crouched, poised, outside the balcony. Glowing eyes scanned the balcony… 

There. In the upper right corner of the doorframe. A little machine blinked, its red dot winking dully.

Jinx cursed under her breath. "Roof it is." She paced herself backwards, moving quietly on the branch, then reached to the one above her. Performing graceful acrobatics, Jinx swung herself to the top of the sturdy tree, balancing before moving to the end and jumping off. She caught the rooftop, landing on the asphalt lightly.

Then she settled down to wait.

It was amazing all the things you noticed when bored. A cell phone started ringing on the sidewalk below, and after a quiet curse, and the rustling of paper bags, a teenager's high-pitched yapping fell upon the silence. A few blocks down, a horn sounded and tires squealed. A dog's frantic barking, and then the snap shut of a door.

When Jinx opened her eyes next, the streetlights had dimmed out the stars. Far off, she heard a clock ring out eight times. Her eyes traced the rooftops by her side. Nothing. No sign of Kid Flash.

Slowly, her mind drifted to think of the superhero. He was determined, wasn't he? She rolled her eyes, arms wrapping around her legs as she pulled them up to her chest. When would he leave her alone?

Jinx closed and opened her neon eyes, blinking at the night thoughtfully. She was having second thoughts about this speedy guy. It was annoying, his obsession about getting on her nerves. The stalking thing, her café… and the whole desert, pyramids fiasco. But then again… the roses… Jinx put her forehead on her knees and took a deep breath, trying to balance it all out. _Why_ in the world wouldn't he leave her alone?

She shook her head, closing her eyes and sighing once more. Life was really confusing sometime.

Suddenly, a footstep sounded beside her.

In a split-second Jinx was on her feet, eyes illuminated, along with her hands. A pink glow seemed to seep out of her fingertips, fizzing out in the darkness as she realized who it was. Again.

Kid Flash grinned at her. "Hi. Nice to see you, too."

Jinx dropped her hands, the light deserting them completely. Her eyes glared at him, and she jammed her fists onto her hips. "Now what?"

Flash shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't come, so I followed you. It's a good thing you don't mind, huh?" he laughed jokingly, obviously hoping she would catch on.

She decided not to.

Jinx scowled, turned, and walked away. He had followed her? And she hadn't noticed? For the second time in the last week and a half, Jinx scolded herself on the inside. She hadn't taken the most complicated route, but, first of all, hadn't made sure she wasn't being followed. Stupidity seemed to plague her.

Jinx heard Kid Flash scrabble along to walk with her, and she ignored him, arms crossed in a huff. He ruffled his messy orange hair and whistled a little, trying to ease the tension. Jinx said nothing.

"You know, I was afraid you would be mad."

Jinx growled. "You think I'm not?" She glared at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, compared to other times I've seen you…"

She was frustrated now. "Why do you insist on annoying me?"

Kid Flash rebounded without a flinch. "You're very annoyable."

Jinx cocked an eyebrow at him, slowing to a stroll as she reached the edge of the roof. "Annoyable? Did you make that up?"

Kid Flash grinned cheekily, his eyes gleeful. "Yeah. Do you like it?"

Once more, Jinx refused to laugh, and put on a straight face. Her pride had again taken control. "No. I hate it. Almost as much as I hate you."

Kid Flash stopped, took a bow, and straightened. "Thanks."

Jinx rolled her eyes, stepped onto the roof edge and leapt off, somersaulting in the air before landing on a lower building's roof. She ran forward and jumped off that roof onto the street and continued walking forward.

Kid Flash was beside her in a matter of seconds. "Impressive. I never knew you were an acrobat."

"I'm not."

Kid Flash rubbed his chin with one hand, then reached to grab her elbow. Jinx stopped walking shortly and slapped him. Surprisingly, he let this one hit him. Releasing her elbow, he rubbed his cheek, which was swiftly reddening.

"Don't touch me."

Kid Flash almost glared at her. "Don't worry, I've learned my lesson, Your Majesty." Jinx nodded, and continued walking. Kid Flash kept up with her, one hand still rubbing his sore cheek. "I only wanted to show you something."

"You think I would let you grab me after… after…?" Her voice drifted off and she turned her face to his, scowling.

"Well, no, but I didn't think you'd slap me."

Jinx swallowed. "I didn't think you'd let me."

Kid Flash nodded, understanding her reasoning. "Well, I didn't want to be all frozen up again."

Jinx laughed, her eyes closing a little. "That was funny." She soon dropped her smile. "You deserved it."

Kid Flash said nothing, letting the remark slide. "You could be a little nicer."

"I'm not a nice person."

"You could be."

"No, I couldn't."

Kid Flash shrugged. "Okay."

Jinx stopped walking for the second time. "'_Okay_?' Why the sudden change?"

Kid Flash stopped with her. "I just don't want to fight. That's allowed, isn't it?"

Jinx opened her mouth to let out a sharp remark, but the breath emptied from her lungs. "Yeah, I guess."

"Okay then."

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Jinx opened her mouth to speak. "Why do you keep following me? And talking to me?"

Kid Flash pondered for a minute, then said, "I want to be your friend."

Jinx made an unbelieving sound deep in her throat. "For some reason I don't think that's it."

Kid Flash nodded, a serious look pasted on his face. He jumped in front of Jinx, halting her and crouched a little, hands held up in a claw-like shape. "You're right. I'm an alien sent from a far-away planet by my leader to Earth. I was assigned one earthling." He pointed one finger to Jinx's nose. "You. I was told to let you trust me, then attack you in the night and suck out your _braaaaaaiiiiinnnnssssss_." He drew out the word_ brains_, then made supposedly scary sounds.

Jinx cocked another eyebrow. "Really?"

Kid Flash straightened. "Yep."

"Should I run away?" Jinx questioned. "Or stand and fight you?"

Kid Flash seemed to weigh this in his mind. "Running would probably be your best option at this point in time. Us aliens are known for being very slow runners." He laughed, gesturing into the air. "Ironic, huh?"

Jinx grinned wickedly. "Alright then." Spying a group of crates to one side of a building, Jinx jumped onto those, then seemed to gather herself into her legs and sprang upwards, catching the rain gutter. She swung back and forth, gaining leverage with each swing. Soon enough her knee hooked the rooftop edge and she easily pulled herself over, disappearing out of Kid Flash's view.

She ran then, across the roof and then dropping down into an alley on the other side. She kept her steps light, her breath steady. Ducking behind a rusty dumpster, she placed her hand over her mouth, silencing her breathing. Soon enough she could hear the rustling of papers as Kid Flash used his super-human abilities to search for her.

"Jinx?" Jinx could hear the frustration in his voice. "Jinx, come on." Then the regret. "Come on. You know I was joking around." She heard a frustrated sigh, and then another rush of wind as he sped away.

Jinx sat there for a while, making sure he was not lingering in the shadows. And of course he was.

"Okay, Jinx… I'll talk to you later, then." And off again. She stood up this time, brushing off her skirt. He would be gone.

He was.

But wait…

Jinx paused in dusting herself off, and turned her head to the right, listening. She heard a sort of boom in the distance. What was it? A sonic boo-

Air suddenly blasted against her face, and her eyes watered. Her ears popped. Jinx screamed, caught unawares. Objects were only a blur of color and light zooming by, and their speed growing faster as every moment rushed by. Her head started to throb and she looked around. Around and around and around. And then she saw Kid Flash. Again there was that pleased look, his eyes bright and focused on something only he could see. Something that sounded like a horn echoed in front of them, and Jinx found herself being hugged into Kid Flash, his arms around her waist. She looped her own arm around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that if she let go, she would fall away… and God knows what would happen.

Then the slow-down.

And it was done.

Jinx pushed herself away from Kid Flash, her legs buckling. He held onto her waist, seemingly reluctant to release her.

"Let me… go." She breathed heavily, her eyes glowing like fire. "I told you not to do that again!" She slapped his hand away harshly.

"Sorry." Kid Flash's hands dropped to his sides and he watched her quietly, waiting.

"No, you're not! You did that on purpose!" Grasping a railing nearby, she let her queasy stomach settle and pulled herself up. "Where did you bring me his time…" Her voice drifted away as the glow in her eyes faded.

Before her lay an entire city of lights. Glowing, shimmering, sparkling beauty. It was spread out for miles, all the dots of light blurring in and out. And then a little closer, but still so far below… water shot up in fountains of light and color. She looked down. The railing was crisscrossed downwards for ages and ages. It was one long tower, and then it spread out at the bottom in two legs, two wide iron, black feet. Tiny figurines of people wandered aimlessly about, scrambling ants so far away.

Two hands found the railing beside her. Kid Flash leaned forward, both elbows set carefully on the bar. His form slouched forward beside Jinx's own. A light breeze messed with strands of his hair, and he almost instantly flattened it. He cleared his throat. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but… do you like it?"

Jinx drank in the sight, her eyes not seeing enough at once. "I…" Jinx thought silently. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful… would she let her pride dictate her once again? "Yeah. Yeah, I... I do."

Kid Flash sighed loudly, visibly relaxing. His shoulders slumped forward, and he grinned recklessly. "I hoped you would. The Eiffel Tower is pretty neat."

"Yeah…" Jinx turned her face upwards, gazing into the night sky. The stars were dim, but they were there. Jinx hardened a little. She let her eyes turn away from Kid Flash, and she stood straighter, arms folding against her stomach. "I'm still mad at you though. I told you not to do that anymore. And you did!" She grumbled under her breath.

Jinx heard Kid Flash sigh, and then chuckle. "I know. But, hey, with this view, who cares?"

_Oh_. Though Jinx. _So the wrong thing to say. _She turned on him, eyes coming alight in all their hot pink wonder.

"I care." She advanced on him, and he faced her, backing against the railing. "You told me you wouldn't do that again." She pointed one finger towards Kid Flash's chest. The tip started to crackle with electricity.

Kid Flash grinned uneasily, his cheeks turning red. "Uh…"

"No, no… no excuses. I told you not to." She let her facial expressions drop, tired all of a sudden. Her finger let out on desperate fizz before dying away, and her hands dropped to her sides. "Just…" she let her back lean against the railing, her face turned away from his. "Warn me next time. I swear… I'll throw up if you don't."

Kid Flash relaxed. "Alright." They stood there for a few long minutes, until something clicked in Kid Flash's brain. "Oh, yeah." He faced Jinx. "Be right back."

And then he was gone.

In a flash of red and yellow, he was gone.

Jinx sighed, turning back to the view when another_ whoosh_ of air poured over her small frame.

Kid Flash stood by her side, almost as if he had never left in the first place. He smiled, and pulled from behind his back a rose, deep red. Like that first one. He held it forward, expecting her to take it.

Jinx hesitated. If she took it, it might mean more to him then it did to her. But if she didn't… If she took it, would it be a sign that she… well…? But if she didn't, she would lose something else, something… deeper, something she couldn't quite place.

Kid Flash blinked at her, his ice blue eyes boring into her own.

Jinx reached out, and took the rose.

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_Again, I'm sorry… You are all allowed to be really mad at me and yell at me, okay? I'm sorry… I'm just a lazy butthead. I think that with this chapter, the beginning was a little rough, but I liked how it ended. Hope you did too._

_And I know I usually make a list of all the people who have reviewed for me, but I don't know who all is still reading these, or who all has been so dogdamned patient enough to wait. So, for all who are still, thank you thank you!_


	9. Something New

**Chapter Seven: Something New**

Jinx sprang forward, her foot arching up and over her opponents head. She brought it down with power, smashing into his shoulder. She laughed, bouncing back with energy.

Mammoth faltered to the side, but quickly straightened. He lunged forward at Jinx, roaring in frustration. Jinx bent her legs, then jumped, forming a ball over Mammoth's head, landing neatly on the other side. Mammoth turned slowly, throwing a punch at Jinx. She jumped back, kicking his hand away, but he twisted his hand and caught her foot.

She yelped as he began to swing her around. Jinx curled into a ball when he released her, sending her soaring through mid-air. She uncurled when she reached the ground, rolling harmlessly to a stop.

Mammoth stared at her as she rose, brushing off her skirt. Both were breathing heavily, sweat dotting their faces.

Jinx stretched her arms. "I say we're good. You?"

Mammoth grunted in reply.

Jinx yawned, exiting the practice arena. "You were good Mammoth." She said, in his direction. "You're reflexes are speeding up."

Mammoth smiled a little, closing the door behind him. "You're happy. Why?" His deep baritone echoed loudly in the hall.

Jinx slowed in her walking, hesitating to answer his question. Something tugged inside of her… deeper then she had felt. This had been happening a lot lately. "I…" she paused, thinking of the right words to say. "I'm not sure."

Mammoth chuckled. "You'll probably figure it out."

Jinx shrugged, turning to her doorway. Punching the combination in, she entered, muttering a faint farewell to Mammoth.

She shivered. It was getting colder and colder outside. Winter was coming quickly. Jinx liked to think of winter as her sort of resting period. She didn't go out nearly as much. The headquarters was her home, the place she stayed all the time. Jinx frowned. She was going to be cramped in here for a while.

Jinx went to her dresser, taking fresh clothes out of the drawers. Folding them neatly on her bed, she went into her bathroom to bathe and change

* * *

It was a while before she came back out. Her hair wrapped in a towel, and her body too, she dried herself, changing into her signature clothes. She brushed through her hair, but left it down to dry. Lying down on her bed, Jinx tugged a blanket over her frame.

Life had been strange for Jinx lately, and she finally had the time to figure it all out.

On the top of her list was Kid Flash.

Something was different about him. Something that Jinx couldn't quite put her finger on. He was a piece of work. She shifted her position, putting her arm under her head. The wetness of her hair seeped onto her fingers, soaking her pillow. Kid Flash had defied her, rebelled against her, stalked her, practically kidnapped her, and so many other things that irked Jinx.

But for some strange reason, she didn't mind.

Paris was still fresh in her mind, the Eiffel Tower's lights still burned in her memory, as well as the desert's setting sun. He had shown her places she couldn't imagine ever seeing on her own. And she couldn't help but admit that he made her laugh, even though she wouldn't let him know. She felt strangely safe when with him. Jinx knew, if she pushed away her denial and pride, that he wouldn't hurt her, and that he only wanted to show her new things.

Beautiful things.

Jinx let her mind wander, still exploring her thoughts over Kid Flash. She remembered that first time he had been in her room, wreaking havoc on the entire Hive "Six". He had discovered those drawings. She had drawn those a long time ago, when she was still in the Hive Academy. Strange, that he had picked up those young drawings rather then anything else.

She remembered the look in his eyes, the laughter dancing in them. How he was so cocky, so arrogant and confident.

And, then, how she had saved him. When she didn't have to.

And the rose.

She turned her head, looking at the rose from Paris. It was still deep red, though the petals were starting to curl. She didn't mind, it was still sweet.

Wait… sweet?

Jinx shrugged. It kind of was. For once she did not mind.

Jinx pulled the blanket around her shoulders, tucking it under her chin. She fell asleep, her mind lingering on Kid Flash's face.

* * *

A loud knock on the door woke Jinx. She didn't move, ignoring it.

The knock came again. Jinx rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head.

It came again, more insistent. Jinx sighed and sat up, wiping one hand over her eyes. "Hold on." She pulled her legs out from under the blanket, glancing at the mirror. Her hair lay in dry, soft waves. Jinx frowned, but moved to the door nonetheless. The boys had seen her like this before.

Pushing a button, the door flew open, and Jinx closed her eyes from the light. "What?"

"Well, you look lovely."

Jinx's eyes snapped open, and she recognized the features of Kid Flash. She suddenly became very self-conscious of how she looked. "Hello." It then registered in her mind where they were. Where he was. "What are you doing in here?"

Kid Flash shrugged. "I donno."

Jinx scowled, placing one hand on her hip. "You aren't supposed to be in here."

"I know."

"So why do you think you can be in here?"

Kid Flash shrugged again. "I don't know. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go anywhere."

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I'm ready to go anywhere?"

Kid Flash blushed. "Well, I can wait if you want."

Jinx hesitated. It was another one of those times. If she said yes, it could lead to something she wasn't sure she wanted. But if she said no she would lose that little place deep inside. That little, wonderfully warm place.

Kid Flash looked hopeful.

"Go wait outside."

* * *

Jinx closed the door behind her, smiling a little sheepishly towards Kid Flash, who was leaning against the brick wall.

"Took you awhile."

Jinx punched his arm playfully. She had put her hair back, into a ponytail, and changed into jeans and a simple t-shirt, a jacket hung limply from her shoulders. Not much, but it was good enough for her. And, by the look on Kid Flash's face, good enough for him too. "What? Do I look bad?"

Kid flash averted his gaze quickly. "No, it's nothing."

Jinx shrugged. "Where did you want to take me?"

Kid Flash laughed, coming back into his old self. "You'll never believe this." He came closer, reaching out to grab hold of her arm, then paused, thought twice.

Jinx rolled her eyes. She moved into him, if not a bit hesitantly. Throwing one arm around his neck, she nodded. "Go on."

Kid flash loosened up. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer, so that they fit together. Jinx scowled up at him, and he grinned. "Hold on." She draped her other arm across his shoulder, tucked her head into his neck and closed her eyes.

The air moved quickly, and Jinx bit her lip, feeling her hair smack at her neck. It was less nauseating then before, because Kid Flash held her tightly, securely. She could feel the muscle in his arms on the small of her back.

And again, it stopped abruptly.

A loud beat bleated in Jinx's ears, and she looked up from Kid Flash's arms. He grinned down at her, their faces mere inches apart. "Enjoy the ride?"

Jinx untangled herself from Kid Flash, and he again hung on, hesitant, before letting her go. She brushed of her jeans before turning in a full circle.

No wonder the trip hadn't been nearly as long as their previous ones. They were still in Jump City. The outline of Titans Tower was not so far away, only right off the coast. Jinx could smell the ocean; feel the cool breeze that came up off the sea.

Kid Flash touched her shoulder, and she turned to him. "Hey, come this way." He tugged on her arm, and she followed him, trotting forward.

They soon came upon a long line of teenagers and college age students. Kid Flash steered towards a small building, away from the line. "What was that?" Jinx asked of out curiosity.

Kid Flash didn't look behind him when he answered. "You'll see."

He knocked on the doorway, and it almost immediately opened. An older boy shrugged against the doorframe. "Hey, Wally." His eyes were brown, tired-looking. "What's up?"

Kid Flash shrugged. "I wanted to grab some clothes before heading into _Neon_."

"_Neon_?" Jinx voiced. She raised an eyebrow as the boy looked her up and down, his eyes flickering over her figure.

"Nice hair." Jinx blushed. She hadn't brought a hood with her. "It'll look cool in _Neon_." He turned to Kid Flash. "Who's the chick?"

"A friend. Can I change?"

The boy stepped aside, and Kid Flash entered, but not before calling to Jinx, "Come on."

The place was small and dumpy. A television set glared in the corner, the picture fuzzy. Jinx followed Kid Flash, who maneuvered around empty beer cans and potatoe chip bags.

A girl stepped out of a doorway, her hair blonde, her clothes fitted. Her face immediately set into a grin on seeing Kid Flash. "Hey, Wally!" She walked to him, and he exchanged a hug with her. "Watcha doin?"

"Getting clothes before heading into_ Neon_." He pulled away awkwardly, darting into a bedroom.

"Oh, sweet." The girl eyed Jinx silently. "Are you going with him?"

Jinx shrugged. "I guess. But… what's _Neon_?"

The girl laughed, her giggles high-pitched. "You don't know what_ Neon_ is? No wonder you're dressed like that." Her brown eyes set on Jinx's. "You can borrow some of my clothes if you like. You look like you're my size. And, I mean, you cannot walk into _Neon_ looking like that. It's like… illegal."

Jinx hesitated. What in the world was _Neon_? "Um… Okay?"

"Awesome. Come on!" She pulled on Jinx's arm, leading her into another room. "Oh," she flashed an award-winning smile at Jinx. "My name's Chelsea."

Jinx smiled back, her head spinning. She couldn't use the name Jinx. Too foreign. "I'm… I'm Jade."

When Jinx exited the room, she looked entirely different then before. Chelsea had poked, prodded, and squeezed her into a pair of jeans, darker, and tighter fitting then the ones Jinx had on before. She was dressed in a maroon tank top, one that didn't dip so low to make Jinx uncomfortable. It tied in the back, and was frilly at the ends.

It was the most feminine thing Jinx had _ever_ worn.

Flats ended the uniform, silver ones.

Chelsea had also insisted on fixing her hair. Half of it was tied back, the other half lay in loose curls around her shoulders. Jinx blushed when she was pushed out of the doorway, protesting loudly. Chelsea laughed. "Jade, come _on_. You look fine."

Jinx wrapped her arms around her shoulders, uncomfortable. She looked _so different._ Jinx shook her head, trying to pull away, explaining that she didn't usually do anything like this, and that she didn't want to look fine or great or _anything_.

But she turned around, nonetheless, stepping into the living room.

Kid Flash had his back to her, talking animatedly to his friend. He wore loose jeans and a gray button up shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, casually. Tennis shoes were on his feet, completing the casual look.

At the sound of voices he turned, setting his eyes on Jinx. He smiled instantly, his eyes dancing, his grin happy. "Hey, you look great."

Jinx blushed.

The boy behind him, the one who had greeted them at the door, said loudly, "So you're going into _Neon_ now, right?"

Kid Flash ran a hand through his already messy hair, ruffling it. "Yeah. Thanks, Chels. And you, Brett."

Brett shrugged, and Chelsea laughed. "No problem."

Kid Flash's eyes leaked into Jinx's. "Come on." He offered a hand.

Jinx stepped forward and took it without a second thought.

"Okay, see you guys later." Kid Flash ran out of the room, at a normal pace. He stepped out into the street. The sun was setting over the ocean, lighting up the water with incomparable beauty.

He ignored it, tugging Jinx along by the hand. She followed, then said, "So, what's _Neon_?"

"An awesome place."

It soon proved to be true.

The line appeared once more, and Kid Flash ran past it, past the people who waited there patiently. The beat that had at first danced into Jinx's ears came forward again. A sign came into view then, bright, neon blue.

It said, _Neon_.

Jinx's eyes widened. _Neon…_

_Neon_ was a club!

**A/N**_ I'm so glad that you guys aren't mad at me! Wow, I was really worried for a minute. Okay, so with this chapter, I was really braindead at first. Writers block, big time. I'm not sure what you guys'll think about the club. I'm not really sure what I think myself, so far. Reasure me, will you?_

**Today I thank:**

_StrugglingArtist_

_FlinxStalker _(love the name!)

_Skyler-A-Teloiv_

_lemony anemone _(your name made me laugh)

_Whitetea_

_goldilocks-13fold_

_Iced Blossom_

_secondrate_

_Frosty Pickle Juice _(way to be specific!)

_jinxed-dragon_

_Luna Forest_

_romancerox_

_FlareKnight_

_QueenAlienSith_

_Shay Bo Bay_

_acosta perez jose Ramiro_

_Lekta_

_Flying Dragons_

_myrmidryad_

_Koumi4ever_


	10. Feeling Neon

**Chapter Eight: Feeling_ Neon_**

Jinx stopped running, bringing Kid flash and herself to a sudden halt. She dropped his hand. Kid Flash looked at her with question lingering in his eyes. "What?"

"You're taking me to a night club?" Jinx rubbed her arms again, nervous. Her pink eyes shifted away from his. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

Kid Flash laughed. "Why not? It's fun." He stepped closer. "Come on, Jinx. You'll like it."

Jinx shook her head. "I'm really not good around crowds. You should know that. I'm not social." Her eyebrows raised, her fists met her hips.

Kid Flash frowned, and ran his hand through his hair, thinking. "Well… I can take you home if you want."

Jinx could see how much he wanted her to go in the club with him, talk to him, dance with him, just plain spend time with him. She dropped her arms. "No, no… it's alright. I mean, I didn't get pretty for nothing."

Kid Flash bounced back, energetic again. "Great! Come on." He grabbed her hand again, leading her towards the door. But he stopped her for a minute.

"You should probably know that people call me Wally when I'm not all heroed up. It's my real name." He grinned sheepishly.

Jinx nodded. "Alright. I told Chelsea my name is Jade."

Kid Flash grinned again. "Okay."

They again approached the door. Two strong men stood at the entrance to the club, blocking the entrance. A smaller man, in a business suit, stood by them, approving people to enter or not. Kid Flash… Wally… approached him, and then pulled Jinx closer when the man turned.

"Hey!"

The man grinned. "Wally, my man."

Kid Flash slung one arm around Jinx's waist; shooting her a look that said, _sorry, play along_. Jinx replied by leaning her head onto his shoulder. The man observed the pair.

"I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to your date, Wally." The man laughed, bowing slightly. "My name is Logan. It's nice to meet you…?"

Jinx played up her role, smiling slightly. "People call me Jade. You can too, if you like."

Kid Flash grinned down at her. The man nodded. "Have a nice time, Jade. Wally."

He stepped aside, as did the guards, revealing the entrance. Kid Flash led Jinx in, his arm still encircled around her waist. She stepped away when out of sight of Logan. Kid Flash turned to her, excited. "That was great."

Jinx shrugged. Kid Flash led her down a hallway that glowed with neon lights. Music blared at them from behind glass doors. Kid Flash placed one hand on the silver handle with a flourish. "Welcome to _Neon_."

He opened the door.

And a whole new _world_ poured out.

The music was intoxicating. Jinx could almost see the music as people danced, their bodies moving and swaying to the rhythm. She could smell the sweat, but she could smell the heat of the dance too. Jinx shrank back, a little afraid.

Kid Flash led her in. He immediately went to a table, one that was higher up then normal, the chair legs long and narrow. He sat, beckoning Jinx to do so also.

Jinx did. "Now what?" she shouted above the music.

Kid Flash laughed. "We wait for a good song! Do you want anything to drink?"

Jinx shook her head, no. Kid Flash leaned back in his chair, swinging one arm over the back lazily. His eyes swept over the scene, observing the mass of dancing people.

This gave Jinx time to think. She watched the writhing mass of bodies warily. She had never been in such a public place… and the music, so loud in her ears. This was definitely going to be a strange experience.

Jinx observed her surroundings quietly. Strobe lights blinked on and off, giving an eerie look to the people. Their bodies lit up and darkened strangely, always appearing in new positions. Fog made from dry ice was scattered haphazardly throughout the whole place, seeping around lightly. Paint glared rudely from the walls, turned neon by black lights. The whole crowd had the same effects. White shone in the dark like flashlights. Jinx could only wonder what her hair and eyes would look like under the light. Stairs led up from the dance floor to a sort of porch area, where numerous tables were placed. Couples dotted the area, and a bar was filled in the back.

Jinx placed an elbow on the table, her hand supported her head. Her ears thrummed with the music. She closed her eyes against the strobe lights, but they still glared on under her eyelids.

The music died down suddenly, and Jinx opened her eyes. People stood, chatting on the dance floor. No outcries were heard, so Jinx supposed this was normal. Jinx turned to a light brush of a hand on her arm. Kid Flash was looking at her, hopeful. "You wanna go down?"

Jinx looked down at the floor again, thinking. She had never really danced before. She looked guiltily to Kid Flash. "I don't know how to dance!"

Kid flash laughed, his voice loud. "Don't worry about it. I'll teach you." He took a hold of her hand, yanking her off the chair. If she had been wearing heels, she would have toppled for sure. Kid Flash led her out, wading his way into the middle of the mix.

They were pressed in at all sides, and Jinx started getting nervous. She looked down at her feet, uncomfortable. Noticing her hair, she pulled it in front of her eyes, examining how… neon it looked. Bright, it shone like a beacon in the mess of people. Jinx could only imagine that her eyes were doing the same.

Then the beat started up again.

There were a few screams of approval, and then all fell silent as the music grew. The whole mass of bodies started swaying, getting into the rythym. Kid Flash started moving too.

He rocked back and forth, blending in with the crowd. Jinx stood motionless, feeling embarrassed. She didn't know what to do.

Kid Flash eyed her slightly, urging her to dance. The beat quickened, and then all of hell broke loose as girls and guys alike worked through the music, sweating in the heat.

Jinx rocked her hips back and forth, and then stopped, unsure. Kid Flash grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. He leaned forward into her ear, so that she could hear him above the music. "Calm down. Feel the music? Good. Now, just let it take over."

Jinx stood stock still, unwilling to let anything take over her. Kid Flash turned her around, and then tugged her into him. She pulled back, unsure. He whispered into her ear again. "Calm down, I'm not doing anything. I'm dancing with you."

Jinx let him lead.

She closed her eyes, felt his hands intertwine with her own. Jinx panicked, her mind talking frantically, but it could not be heard above the music. Kid Flash leaned forward, his chest meeting Jinx's back. Jinx opened her eyes and her gaze was immediately met by that of a young man, a few feet away. He glanced away, and then moved his eyes back, grinning confidently. Jinx glared.

She almost laughed inside her head as she felt her eyes glow. The stranger's boyish smile almost immediately faded, and he turned pale. Jinx smiled wickedly. She laughed as he hurriedly rose from his seat, knocking the chair over before scurrying away.

Apparently, Kid Flash had taken her laugh as a sign of encouragement, and he began to swing her hips from side to side slightly. Jinx could almost feel his grin burning into the back of her head. Jinx smiled, finally realizing what she was so afraid of. She had never really had fun. And Flash was just trying to introduce her to that, finally. She began to clumsily dance along.

The music was invigorating, and she caught some of the words above the loud bass. _"Momma you may be 3 years older but you hot, gimme that. You be talking like you like what I got, gimme that. I know you like it how I lean in the 'lac. You could be in the back saying, 'Gimme, gimme, gimme." _This seemed to be a very popular song, because there were more people on the floor then had been earlier.

Jinx, for the next little while, observed the people around her, and how they danced. While some was totally unexplainable, and not to be messed with, Jinx decided that others could classify as what people called fun.

As the night wore on, slowly yet surely, Jinx and Kid Flash spent their time together without many words. An hour passed on the dance floor, and Jinx was worn out. She stopped along with the song, tired of bending and twisting in the radical way that was considered the norm. Dancing was too different for her to go at it all night. Leaning towards Kid Flash, she shouted over the multitude of voices, "I'm tired! Lets take a break."

Kid Flash nodded in agreement, then pried apart the crowd, leading a path out of the floor. Jinx followed behind, her eyes glowing bright. This time they had difficulty finding a table. The club was as packed tighter than before. A giant clock with glowing numbers gleamed in the darkness above the bar, giving the time. Jinx took a glimpse at it, discovering that it was later than she had though. She blinked, tired.

Kid Flash led her to the bar, and Jinx plopped into one of the seats, spinning slightly. Another swivel chair. She smiled.

It was quieter here, and Kid Flash could talk normally. "What do you want?"

Jinx saw no menu. She shot him a puzzled glance.

He caught her stare, noticing that of course she wouldn't know. "Ah, I'll get you something."

"Alright."

Just then a hand knocked into Jinx's elbow, sending shoulder into Kid Flash as she lost her balance. With a growl she spun around, eyeing the perpetrator.

It was the same boy as before, on the floor.

He grinned cockily, his brown hair flipping down into his eyes. "Hey." He shot her a dazzling smile. "Why don't you go dance with me?"

Jinx curled her lip, rolling her eyes. "How about not?"

His smile faltered for a minute, then shot back again, drenching Jinx in an unnatural shine. "Oh come on, baby."

Jinx could almost feel Kid Flash stand up. "She said she doesn't want to."

The boy glared at Kid Flash, a look that told him to get lost and stay lost. He also stood straighter, moving from his lazy lean to a stiff posture. "I don't think she asked you to tell me."

Jinx could hear Kid Flash's voice, then felt him brush against her and he moved around to stand defensively in front. "Hey, buddy, we don't want a fight, do we? I suggest you move out before you make one." Jinx could tell Kid Flash was trying to reason, but she said nothing. Inside, though she fumed silently.

_I can take care of myself, Wally. _She glared at his back, crossed her arms in defiance. _I don't need you to protect me. I'm not your damsel in distress over here. _She tapped one foot against the little metal ring around the bottom of the chair, frowning.

The young man spoke again. "Let her choose, tough guy."

And Kid Flash stepped out of the way, one hand out as if gesturing the boy towards Jinx. "My pleasure." He glanced to Jinx, a knowing gleam in his eye.

Jinx almost gaped at him. She could read what he was thinking. He was letting her fight her own battles. She blinked.

The teenager stepped forward. "Come on. Dance with me." His eyes were forceful.

Jinx stood, a plan forming in her mind quickly. She looked him up and down, and then walked a circle around him, ignoring Kid Flash's questioning face and the boy's confused looks. Her observation complete, she sat back down. "No. No thank you."

The young man looked as if he was going to smack her. "What?"

Jinx spun her chair back towards the bar, observing the scene. "No, thank you."

Kid Flash let out a chuckle.

And that was when it happened.

Jinx saw it almost in slow motion, and noticed when the young man turned, his shoulder blade facing her now. She could see the muscle bend under his dark shirt as his arm pulled back, a fist tightening just beyond.

Jinx spun, stood, jumping forward. Kid Flash had already moved back, his senses as reflexive as hers, but it was too late. Her eyes burned, and her hands spread wide apart, fingers spaced evenly. The pink lightning shot out, hitting the young man square in the chest.

The teenager's eyes lit up in the light from her hands, and his mouth rounded into a surprised 'o' shape. Jinx could hear him scream. He was thrown against the bar with an uncanny force, his chest crackling before fading back again.

His eyes closed.

Jinx felt Kid Flash's arms around her, and the pull of moving faster than fast before she could blink.

They were moving at the speed of light, if not faster. Away, away, away.

Away…

_**A/N:** sorry this one took long. My laptop died (with everything on it) and I couldn't get it repaired for about three weeks… luckily all my files survived, so I'm all right there. And then it was hard for me to write this, except for the ending. I don't know. I was lazy too, and I was putting it off and giving myself excuses. I'll try to get another chapter up by, at THE MOST, next week Wednesday. Thank you for being so dang patient!_

_My heart goes out to all of you, because I'm again too lazy to write down names!_

_Thanks again!_

_ Saphiraemrys_


	11. Small

**Chapter Nine: Small**

Color, noise… _time_. It all rushed by in a blur. Everything melted together endlessly, smearing into Jinx's mind as if there wasn't anything there.

But oddly, Jinx felt slow. Her eyes couldn't close fast enough. She blinked, slowly, eyes watering in the mess. That familiar nauseating feeling crept back to slither around her stomach, making her head throb. But she knew she wouldn't fall, because Kid Flash had his arms securely about her, carrying her easily. She closed her eyes again, and, this time, she kept them that way.

It wasn't too long until Kid Flash gradually slowed, walking forward. Jinx didn't protest his carrying her still. Her stomach still roiled inside her restlessly. Her bright pink eyes found the moon then, and the ocean. She blinked again, slowly.

Kid Flash stood silently for a moment, and then set her down, gently. She hung onto his sleeve tightly, trying to keep her balance. Stars swam in circles above her and she felt sick again, more than she ever had before. With a groan she stumbled towards the water, feeling her feet sink in the soft, wet sand. She kicked her shoes off, losing track of them.

Jinx pulled back her hair, paused, and then retched into the tide. She closed her eyes, the sour taste burning into her mouth.

With a heavy sigh she turned around, her vision clearing slightly.

Kid Flash stood there, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "What happened?" His voice cut through the dark night.

Jinx didn't trust herself to talk. She could hear the ocean humming behind her, then felt the wetness seep around her feet. It was warm. She realized then that these weren't her pants, and she was getting the cuffs wet. Well, that was the least of her worries now.

She opened her mouth to speak, letting the words inch their way out. "He was going to hit you."

Kid Flash leaned back, prying his own shoes off his feet. He stuck his hands into his pockets. Jinx saw that the moon reflected his freckles. "He wouldn't have. You know that."

Jinx's eyebrows furrowed together. She was thinking so slowly. "I know." It smelled like seaweed out here.

Kid Flash paused, then grinned. "You really got him."

Jinx did not smile back. "I know."

The smile dropped. "I'm sure he's all right, if you're worried."

Jinx shook her head. "No. I don't think I hit him hard enough." She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, then spat, trying to rid her mouth of the acidic taste. Jinx could feel herself speeding up, coming back into herself.

Kid Flash nodded, walking closer. "Are you alright?"

Jinx blinked quietly. "I am."

Kid Flash nodded his head once more, his hair ruffling from the ocean breeze. "Good." Then silence came once more.

Silence…

Silence…

Silence…

"I want to show you something."

Jinx felt the tug of his arms on her shoulders, and she tensed, ready to retaliate. But something inside of her, deep, buried deep, told her _no. Let him. Let him in._

So she did. And, once more, the time flew by.

Jinx felt the curves of her body pressing into Kid Flash as he transported her around the globe, perhaps.

But… there was something different about this time. Something subtle, but still noticeable. Jinx looked down. Wet. Water flew up against her jeans, sprinkling her with showers of wetness. It sank into her, soaking her legs. But, how could that be?

It clicked. They were crossing an ocean.

It obviously had not been the first time. Not since Paris. But… Jinx had probably been too off-guard to notice. He had surprised her that time... _That_ was why her boots were wet when they got back. She reached back, behind her, and felt Kid Flash's forearm in her grasp. She clutched it, afraid. If they stopped… at _all_, they would sink. And Jinx didn't know how to swim.

It stopped.

She stiffened, but realized that solid earth was beneath her feet. _Oh, the joys of dirt…_ she thought, sighing.

An immediate tug on her hand brought her back. And that's when she actually saw where they were.

Everything was in a different language, words pasted all over rocky streets. She turned in a circle, only to be met by the goofy grin of Kid Flash.

His blue eyes focused into hers. "Can you guess where we are?"

People bustled all around, and Jinx shrugged away from Kid Flash as she observed everything. Buildings were tall, and absolutely ancient. A looming, curved shadow reached far above her eyes, broken in places, filled in others. It all looked as if it had come out of a history book.

"Rome."

The Roman Coliseum laid before her, behind iron gates, its ancient grandeur daunting in the shadows. Jinx stepped closer, aweing as it loomed far above her head. So very old. A gift to be recognized.

"No one will ever believe I've seen this." She whispered, scratching at her hair. It was huge, bigger than she had thought of before. In her history classes back at HIVE Academy, that had covered great empires and rulers briefly. Rome had been a favorite for one of Jinx's teachers. The Coliseum had held thousands of people… it had been the biggest gathering place of its time.

Jinx turned to Kid Flash, who was standing beside her, content to gaze at her reaction. "Can we get closer?"

Kid Flash laughed. A wholehearted laugh. "I was wondering whether you would ask or not." He grabbed her arm, and next thing Jinx knew she had smacked straight on into a stony wall.

She shrieked loudly, clasping both hands over her nose. Kid Flash appeared, looking confused. He gazed at the wall, then to her pained face, looking back and forth. Finally, something clicked in his mind. "Oh…" he blushed hot pink. "Sorry."

Jinx glared, still holding her red nose.

Kid Flash put one hand on the back of his neck, a forgetful smile lingering on his lips. "I can vibrate my molecules fast enough to go through walls… but I can't do it to other people." He chuckled, trying to ease the mood. "My bad?"

Jinx merely wiped her nose, a small streak of blood staining her hand. "Yes, your bad." She stalked forward, going through one of the ancient gateways instead. Kid Flash followed.

Jinx soon forgot the throbbing in her nose.

The crumbling arena spread out before them in all its grandeur, towering high, and falling far below. Jinx moved down the ancient stairway, gazing around slightly. It was bigger than she thought. The wall had fallen in, leaving the catacombs beneath the floor bare and empty. A humongous section of the theater had fallen ages ago, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

Jinx spun slowly, taking in the sight. Amazing. To think, how many people died on the battlefield below? How many people cheered the bloody massacres? Thousands… to say the least.

Kid Flash came up behind her, touching her shoulder, then dropping his hand away before she moved. "It's cool, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You like it?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome. Maybe I can show you some other stuff too."

Jinx faced him, tearing her eyes away from the floor. "Can I go down there?" She pointed to the small bridge and standing area.

Kid Flash shrugged. "Sure." He held her arm, and they were in the middle of it all before she could blink.

This time she really did spin. The whole area exploded out in front of her, displaying for her own viewing pleasure. She took a step forward, carefully. Huge. Huge and glamorous, in an old… worn out kind of way. Jinx felt suddenly tiny… miniscule. She started to grasp at how big the world really was. It was scary to her. She felt weak. She felt small.

Jinx's face was eager. "Okay, I'm ready to go now."

Kid Flash scratched at his arm. "Alright. I won't get your feet wet if you let me pick you up."

Jinx hesitantly nodded, feeling weightless as Kid Flash swung her into his arms. She felt, oddly, like a damsel in distress. She opened her mouth to question him before they set off. "So we really did go over an ocean?"

Kid Flash nodded.

"Oh." She turned her eyes away. Awkward silence, then, "Don't go through any walls."

Kid Flash laughed again. And they took off.

_A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm late again. But oh well. I can't really turn back time, can I? I really liked writing about Jinx smacking into a wall! I thought you guys needed a little laugh. Heehe. God knows I did. But anyhow, if you still love me, review!_

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_A/N: Thank you guys! Please review again! And, if you like, you can give me some ideas as to where KF could take Jinx next. I'm running out of neato places. However, I'm also thinking a romantic waterfall, and perhaps KF makes his move sometime…? Tell me what you think, and give me a little bit to work with if you want!_

_Loves!_

_Saphiraemrys_


	12. Like a River

**Chapter Ten: Like A River**

"You never did finish."

"I know." Jinx blinked, combing the girl's hair gently.

"So… finish!" Kat's round eyes found Jinx's own in the mirror.

"Alright. Keep quiet. We don't want what happened last time to happen again, do we?" Jinx pulled the brush through Kat's curls once more, making them silky smooth.

Kat wriggled, her young patience wearing thin. As Jinx took a few last strokes, Kat pulled away, leaving the brush hanging in mid air. "Okay, okay, okay… tell me what happens to the magical deers."

Jinx sighed, nodded. "Fine." She moved away from Kat's small dresser, setting the wooden brush down gently. Kat jumped onto the bed, struggling to pull herself up, and Jinx pushed her up with one foot, sitting down herself shortly after. "Where did we leave off?"

Kat responded instantly. "She wished for a bunny."

Jinx nodded. "Oh_, yes_." She clasped her hands into her lap, resuming the hastily made-up tale. "The magical deer stomped one of his hooves onto the ground and said, "So be it." And then, right out of a bush hopped a little bunny, all young and sweet."

Kat giggled in delight, her glee obvious.

"Katherine immediately thanked the deer. The deer said next, "And your second wish?" Katherine said…" Jinx again inclined her head towards Kat, though she made a motion signifying to keep quiet this time.

Kat smacked one hand over her mouth, thinking. "A… dolly."

Jinx cocked her eyebrow at this. Kat's room was absolutely stuffed with the objects. Nonetheless, she nodded. "Alright. The deer stomped again, and a little doll fell out of the trees, right into Katherine's hands." Jinx could tell by the look on Kat's face that she wanted more. "It was small, and had red cheeks, and blue eyes, and blonde hair." There… now she was satisfied.

Jinx continued. "For the third wish, Katherine said, "I want a friend." Kat nodded, agreeing. Jinx was glad she did not complain that she had not chosen this time. "Kat was raised by herself, and she got lonely sometimes, so she wanted someone to play with. The deer, as a final word, said, "So be it." He stomped his hoof.

"Out of the woods ran a little girl, the same age as Katherine. She had brown eyes and blonde hair, and was small and wild. Leaves were in her hair, and she touched the deer's neck like a friend mught touch someone's arm."

Kat nodded, glad. This had obviously been a wise choice. Jinx went on. "The deer said to Katherine, this girl's name is Lea. She is a princess of the woods. Be kind to her, and she will stay. Be mean or cruel in any way, and she will leave you and come back to me." He deer finished his talk and Lea hugged him goodbye. Then Katherine held her hand and took her back to her house. Katherine always treated Lea nicely, and Lea stayed with her forever. They both lived happily ever after. The end."

Katherine cheered quietly, throwing her arms about Jinx's waist. Jinx stiffened, then relaxed, smiled sweetly. "Was it good?"

Kat grinned like a child might on Christmas Day. "Yeah!" she giggled again, her brown locks falling into her eyes.

Jinx gazed out the glass doors. Numerous street lamps blotted out stars. But it was dark nonetheless. Jinx patted Kat awkwardly on the head, smiling. "I have to go now."

Kat's smile weakened, but was not dropped completely. "Will you come back?"

Jinx smiled once more. "Yes."

"Okay." Kat snuggled into her covers, waving goodbye as Jinx slipped off the bed gracefully, and was at the doors. She unlatched the door and swiftly lifted herself onto the railing, then leaped off, tumbling, into the tree. She scurried out of sight and then jumped forward onto the roof, exiting the townhouse.

-:-

Jinx soon found herself in the same familiar swivel chair, again surrounded by the mangled parts of machines that had been tampered with. She kicked at some loose wires, chuckling as the skidded across the floor and entangled with another mess of wires.

"Hey!"

Jinx looked up. The miniature frame of Gizmo stood in the doorway. His young voice perked up again. "Don't do that! Those are delicate wires." He pressed a button and his mechanical legs unfolded themselves. Apparently, he had gotten them fixed again. He rose a good three feet off the ground, them moved forward, a lot more gracefully than he had long ago. The legs didn't clank together at the joints either. They were silent except for the faint click against the floor.

He grasped at the wires, the legs bending at the knee to lower him. Jinx heard him curse faintly under his breath as he started to untangle the mess. "Don't do that to my stuff." He scorned.

Jinx sighed. "If you didn't leave it lying around, maybe I wouldn't. It got in my way."

Gizmo scowled at her, his beady eyes fixed in anger, than turned and scuttled away with the machinery. Jinx stuck her tongue out at his retreating figure, then made a rude gesture as he disappeared through the doorway.

Jinx put her head back, then got up, and almost immediately stumbled across a metal thing. She cursed, then drew her foot back, kicked the object into the air and raised a hand. The energy cackled at her fingertips then shot forward, frying the delicate instrument. "Stupid… electric… thing." She mumbled, stalking down the stairs.

Jinx took the familiar route to her bedroom, collapsing onto her bed as though she had done it millions of times. It was late, her digital clock revealed that.

Her thoughts wandered as she pulled a pillow under her head, smoothed her skirt and tugged it lower as she curled her knees to her chest. Kat. The little girl was so young and innocent, but she had more experience with a single criminal than anyone Jinx could imagine. She was so protected, but so vulnerable as well.

It would tremendously easy to just pick her right up and swing her on out of those French doors… it would be quite the adventure to little Kat to take a tour of the city. Jinx flipped over, lying on her stomach now, with the pillow tucked under her chin.

Kat really _wouldn't _mind, would she?

_Quite_ the little adventure…

Jinx almost laughed. It wouldn't hurt her, would it? Her family. They would worry, but it really wouldn't take that long, would it? She would have to plan it when the family was gone.

Easy enough.

Jinx rolled onto her back and pulled the pillow underneath her head. Eh. Sometime. Sometime soon.

She drifted into an uneventful sleep.

-:-

A few reasonably quiet days later, Jinx found herself sitting over Kat's townhouse, her feet dangling from the gutter. The sunset glimmered in the distance, the bottom-most edge just skimming the earth. Jinx stretched, her arms reaching behind her head, her back arching, as a cat's might.

She heard a sudden rush of wind, strands of loose hair flew back from her face, and then the now all-too familiar voice whisper into her ear. She didn't flinch.

"Watcha doing up here all alone, pretty lady?" Kid Flash said, sitting beside her. His orange hair ruffled up in the light breeze, turning to fire in the sunlight. Jinx tucked the few strands of neon pink behind her ears before replying.

"Being bored." Jinx blinked quietly, enjoying, and yet loathing the comfortable presence at the same time. Did he follow her everywhere? Wasn't there one place, just one, that he couldn't get to?

Jinx almost rolled her eyes at herself_. Of course not_. Kid Flash could probably get to more places than anyone Jinx had ever met.

"Oh." He hummed, obviously just as bored as she was. "Hey, hey, hey." Kid Flash turned to face her. Something had clicked in his brain.

"What?" Jinx scotched away a little, rotating her waist to face him as well.

"I can take you somewhere where it isn't boring." He looked hopeful. Again that little warm, pressuring spot appeared. Jinx needed to decide again… "Wanna come?"

There was no hesitancy in her voice this time. The warm spot grew. "Alright."

Kid Flash whooped to himself, stood, and offered a hand. "You'll like it, but we have to hurry." He threw a worried glance to the sun, which was slowly tumbling below the earth's dark line.

Jinx stood, taking his hand, and everything turned into a mess of watery colors before her eyes.

The travel was longer than most. Green, blue, red… it was everywhere, smeared across everything. Jinx felt a hard tug on her waist, and her hand flew back. It hit against something rough, and she drew in her breath, shocked. They must have been passing… passing something. Jinx closed her eyes, threw her arms around Kid Flash's neck, and drew herself against him.

It stopped.

A slight roar crept into Jinx's ears, along with a light shower of droplets. She immediately opened her eyes, but hands folded over them. "Not yet!" Kid Flash said, his breath rising and falling quickly. "We aren't in the right place yet." With the promise of keeping her eyes shut, Kid Flash tugged Jinx along, holding both her wrists.

He placed her in the right position, and she could feel his breath on her neck briefly before he backed up. "Okaaaaay…" he paused. "Open!"

Jinx did.

The site was breathtaking. The sun was setting over a lush forest that stretched for miles. Off to the side, a foaming white waterfall was crashing down on piles and piles of black, jagged rocks. A pool spilled into a river that wound its way into the dense thicket. Birds of all size and color burst from the vibrant trees, warbling their protests at these uninvited guests. The sun was a great disc that burned like fire in the distance.

"Wow." Jinx said simply one word, which shrank all of the majesty into a single pure adjective.

Kid Flash smiled. "You like it, then."

"I do." Jinx blinked back at him, a smile lingering on her lips. "It's absolutely wonderful. How did you find it?" The jungle was immense. It would take months, maybe years, for any normal human to discover the tropical spot.

Kid Flash shrugged innocently, striding up to stand beside her. "Well, I _am_ super, after all."

Jinx smacked his arm, and he flinched, laughing. "Yeah, yeah." Jinx turned back to the sight, crossing her arms. It was uncomfortably humid. "Well, now what?"

Kid Flash remained silent.

Jinx looked at him, curious. "Flash? Er… Wally?"

Kid Flash turned, "We enjoy it."

We… _we_. He said _we_. Jinx could almost feel it now. That little spot inside her spread. It covered her entire stomach… continued crawling up her chest, until it stopped dead on her heart. After one, great beat, all of the warm feelings rushed forward, pouring in on her, filling every part of her body. It pounded in, overpowering, majestic. Like… the waterfall in the near distance. Like the river rushing into the trees.

And she knew it wouldn't go away.

_A/N: Sorry, I didn't put in a kiss or anything. It didn't feel right. And, sorry for the wait. I'm on Christmas break, which is no excuse. I have plenty of time, but I got caught up in the holiday. I'm going to Cancun, Mexico, in the next few days, and I wanted to get this done. I probably won't have another one for another week… maybe two. School is coming back. _

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_Toran of Raysed_


	13. Friendly Visits

**Chapter Eleven: Friendly Visits**

_Tick… tick… tick… tick…_

Jinx covered her ears with the pillow. How could one clock be so annoying? She lifted a corner of the soft material, her eye fishing around for the familiar digital numbers.

It was 10:53. Near eleven! She had been lying in bed for... oh, probably three hours now? Jinx growled lightly under her breath, sat up, and threw the pillow against the doorway. The sleek, uniformly gray metal knocked back in response.

Jinx fell back against the bed, frustrated, then sat up again as the realization of what just happened hit her. The door had knocked at her? No… someone was knocking on the door. She rose, glanced at her frizzy haired frame, and put her hair into a ponytail, reaching for the doors. One button pushed, the usual sucking sound occurred and then Kid Flash appeared, leaning in the doorway.

And it was him. _Of course _it was him. Jinx would have been stupid to suspect anyone else. She crossed her arms over her too-large nightshirt. It floated around her thighs, hiding the shorts she had on underneath. "What do you want?" She scowled for emphasis. "I was sleeping." Might as well tell a lie.

Kid Flash shrugged, his light blue eyes playing around her figure. "I'm pretty sure you weren't." He quirked an eyebrow accusingly.

Jinx bent down to pick up the pillow, hugging it to herself as she straightened. "Well you're wrong. Now go away." She pushed a button on the keypad, and the door zoomed shut, darkening the room and leaving Jinx to her thoughts. She turned, closed her eyes, fell on the bed…

… but the bed doesn't make sounds, now does it?

She scrambled back, saw Kid Flash rub his shoulder painfully. "Gee, what'd you fall on me for?"

She tensed, her shoulders rising towards her ears. _"Get out."_ Her eyes started turning pink, the edges glowing softly. "GET OUT."

Kid Flash shook his head, stood, and clutched Jinx's shoulders. "Calm down, hot stuff. I'm not doing anything wrong."

The light left Jinx's eyes, almost suspiciously. "You're in my room! That in itself is a wrong!"

Kid Flash pulled her forward unexpectedly, a large, loose hug. She sank to him, suddenly very tired, with her chin against the notch where his shoulder met his neck. Her ear felt the vibrations of his voice. "No, it's not."

"Yes it is." She mumbled back. "Privacy, my friend." She pulled off of his chest, her hands placed squarely against his shoulders. "Privacy is the key to all of creation. A girl can't live without it." She put a dramatic hand against her forehead, then leaned back and pushed the button on the door. _Click, voosh_… the door gaped open, filling the room with harsh bright light.

"Time to go, Wally."

Kid Flash glared at her, then trudged out the door, and took a right, heading across the hallways.

A sudden notion struck Jinx and she stuck her head out after him, calling softly. "How did you get in here anyways?"

Kid Flash turned by the stairs, now facing her. With a mischievous smile he tapped the side of his nose… and then was gone. Jinx stuck her tongue out at the spot where he had disappeared.

With another sigh she tapped the button, the door pushed closed and she fell onto the bed, glancing at the clock. The neon green told her 11:11. She closed her eyes, pulled the blanket over her and fell asleep.

Red and yellow lightning bolts littered her dreams.

-:-

Jinx grimaced in silence, her face twisting in displeasure as a small hand pulled back her neon locks. A clip snapped into place, pulling on her hair painfully, but she endured. Just to make Kat happy.

The girl sang behind Jinx, something about spiders and rain, and then the sun. A brush pulled along the bottom of her hair, the voice stopped, and Jinx felt concentrated breath on her neck. "Almost done." Kat said behind Jinx. "But don't open your eyes! It's a surprise."

A few more clips, some more tugs on the hair, and Jix felt her eyes water. Did hair always have to pull in just that right way? Just on the tips of your hair so it was ready to pull out but didn't? She sniffled loudly, then beame silent again. All was quiet behind her.

She decided to venture out. "Are you done?"

The voice was farther away now, across the room. "Hold on!" was the brisk reply. Jinx listened for the patter of footsteps and they came, quickly and evenly. Jinx felt a slip of fabric against her head, then looping motions and Kat finally cried out happily, "Okay all done!"

Jinx finally snapped open her eyes, focusing on the mirror and its image in front of her. Her hair was a mess of knots and tangles, bows and ribbons. She cracked a pained smile, though Kat took it for one of delight. She squealed happily and clapped her hands together.

"Do you like it?"

Jinx creased her eyebrows, trying different expressions with the mess of neon pink. "Of course." She smiled again as Kat jumped up and down once, her grin stretching to what looked like an almost painful limit. "I'm sure you'll be a great hairdresser one day."

Jinx, in truth, had never really gotten her hair cut. She remembered once when she was younger, though. A faded memory that was worn and torn from so many viewings. Perhaps a glimpse of any sort of past life. Something she could not remember.

"_Stay still, girl!" A heavy hand pulled her head back, and the little child Jinx cried out in protest. She looked up towards the man above her… his face was blurred now. Jinx could almost feel who it was. It lingered on the back of her mind, but was too faint to recognize._

"_Daddy, stop!" The man jerked back harder. _

"_I'm not your father." It was calmer than before. Jinx stayed still, and the man let go of her curls, watching them tumble down her tiny lithe figure. They were long. So long as to be unmanageable. Jinx could remember continually tossing them behind her shoulder, or putting them back in a long ponytail._

_Her hair had been so different back then. It was before she had become Jinx. The ends of her hair had started fading to white, then turning to a vibrant pink before her eyes. The man had been scared. Of her or of something else, Jinx didn't know. She just remembered that he had been hesitant to even touch her, but was forceful when he did._

_A hunting knife came out of the man's pocket. Jinx started to cry, her cheeks turning wet. "No, don't… I like it!" The man only ignored her, his blade touching the pink of her hair. "Stop it, Daddy! STOP IT!" _

_Her eyes had started turning pink when the blade was halfway through the thick of her hair. It ahd begun piling around her from her dirty stool on her floor. She cried openly, her voice making hoarse noises. _

_The man was almost done when she threw her hands up, struggling. He halted in his neon massacre. "Stop it!" His heavy hand hit the back of her head and it was almost as if a light came on in her mind. Her eyes immediately brightened, and she shrieked in surprise. Stumbling from the chair, Jinx turned around, raised a hand, and her fingers gave a faint sparkle of pink._

_The man hurried back. "Now, now, girl." He dropped the blade. "Be nice to Daddy now."_

_Jinx's younger self had its first turn of seriousness._

"_You are not my Daddy, are you?" And her fingers threw a hex at him._

_She remembered cutting the rest of her lopsided hair off sadly._

"Jinx?" Kat was calling her name. Jinx had drowned in her reverie. With a shake of her messy head, Jinx came back. She drifted back into the consciousness of her mind. Kat's innocent voice sounded. "Jinx…! My mommy is home."

Jinx leapt up, glanced around wildly. She strained to hear the footsteps of a stranger. And yes, there they were. Keys on a table… heeled feet on the stairs.

"Katherine…" the more mature female voice ascended up and into the room.

With silence, Jinx frantically shook her hair, sending clips and ribbons flying. She tore her hands through her hair, causing more elastic bands to shower down. Kat opened the French doors, and Jinx sprinted past, planting a kiss on Kat's red cheek sweetly before jumping across the landing and coming to an abrupt halt in the tree. She climbed up, watching Kat turn and put a hand to her head.

"Hi, Mommy."

The woman came forward, and Jinx, from her protected shelter in the treetop, caught a first glimpse of Kat's mother. She was talking kindly, picking up the pieces of plastic hair bits off the floor. "Hey, baby." She bent forward and gave her daughter a kiss. "Where's James?"

Kat peered out the doors, her eyes looking for Jinx before turning away. "He's sleeping. He said he was tired."

_Lucky me…_ Jinx thought thankfully.

The sleek woman gave a frustrated nod. "Well, he can't very well take care of you when you're sleeping, can he?"

Kat opened her mouth. "Oh well…" Jinx froze. Would she slip that Jinx was already taking care of her? "I don't need him. I'm a big girl, Mommy!"

Kat's mother laughed. "I know you are. Come on, let's go downstairs." Kat shut the door, took her mother's hand, and they exited the room, talking quietly.

Jinx spent most of the afternoon fishing around in her hair for clips and elastic bands.

-:-

Kid Flash zoomed by her, his face melting into a sloppy grin. Jinx crossed her arms, taking on a look of pure irritation. He came to a stop in front of her, his hair pushed messily about. He looked like he had just stepped off of a rollercoaster.

Kid Flash had knocked at her door again the previous night, refusing to be turned away. He had asked her whether or not she would want to do something fun that following day. All the while, taking care not to step foot into her room.

"_Fun?" _She had asked. _"What kind of fun?"_

_He laughed. "The kind where you scream."_

Jinx wasn't exactly sure what to expect. She was very sure she would have a good time with it, whatever it was. She had been instructed to dress in civilian clothes, something casual, and not too hot. Apparently, they were going somewhere warm.

And so she had donned dark jeans and tennis shoes, a . Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, tucked up under a blue baseball hat so that only the hair ascending from the nape of her neck could be seen.

Kid Flash had dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, and a white t-shirt, the thin sleeve edges and collar of the casual shirt a dark blue color. It was nice, in a way, to see them both out of their super outfits.

"Okaaaay." He said in a sing-song voice. "Come here. I think I can make it a short journey from here." Jinx came towards him in their usual form now, she facing him. He didn't tug her closer at first though.

His eyes focused in on her own. There was a happy, excited light in the blueness. "What?" She said hastily. "What, is there something wrong?"

He was silent for a few more seconds, examining her, almost. "No." he said as he brought her closer, his hands looping around her waist. "Nothing's wrong at all."

His breath was still warm on Jinx's neck as they shot off, moving along faster than anything Jinx had ever experienced before.

**A/N**_Sorry for the delay, once more. I can be very lazy sometimes. Ah well. I think writing the next chapter will be fun! Fun for me to write, fun for you to read. I think that what's going to come will be very… familiar, to you. Thanks for reviewing, all of you!_

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**A/N:**_ Thanks so much again! I'll have the next chapter up by… I'll make it at least Friday of next week._

_Loves,_

_saphiraemrys_


	14. Sweet Lemonade

_A/N: Sorry, again, for the late update. This chapter turned out longer than I thought it would. Thanks to my reviewers. I'm not putting names down this time… you'll figure why. And no, just because it says lemonade doesn't mean it's going to have.. things in it. It just fits the chapter. Enjoy, loves._

**Chapter Twelve: Sweet Lemonade**

The air snapped taught, then whistled around her ears, sending the hat up and over her head. Jinx felt a hand on the back of her neck, keeping it at a standstill. She let her eyes rise to Kid Flash's. They were serious, concentrated, but with a tint of playfulness.

He clearly enjoyed his job.

Tucking her nose into the collar of his shirt, Jinx closed her eyes, hugged his neck tighter, and became calm. It was almost normal now.

A sudden jerk to the side made Jinx jump, and then they stopped. Jinx tumbled to the side, tripping over her own feet and Kid Flash's own. Well… perhaps not so normal after all.

Kid Flash steadied her, arms strong. "Okay. Here we are." He turned her around, jammed her hat back onto her head and pointed.

Jinx scowled.

"What is it?" there were lights twinkling into the daytime, children's screams and loud lilting music.

"A carnival." Kid Flash crossed his eyes when she looked over her shoulder at him. "Duh."

"I don't know, Wally." She folded her arms. "I'm not a very social… person." Jinx let her eyes drift to the dirt beneath her feet.

"Have you ever been to a carnival?" He sidled up beside her, and Jinx suddenly made herself busy by righting her hat and tucking the loose pink locks into the brim of her baseball cap. Best to remain inconspicuous.

"No…"

"Then how do you know you won't like it?" His hand found hers, and he wrapped his fingers along hers, tugging her along slowly.

Jinx avoided words. "Nnnghh…"

Kid Flash laughed, "Come on." And pulled her towards the gates. The line was longer than Jinx may have expected, full of squealing children and jabbing teenagers. Mothers and fathers scolded their young ones, reprimanding them for scurrying off when they should not have. One father in particular held a blonde little girl on his shoulders, a backpack full of obvious supplies strapped on. He moved to the side, and Jinx saw a mother holding a younger little boy, paying the lady in the window.

They moved on, and then it was Jinx and Kid Flash's turn. Kid Flash whipped money out of his pocket, fingering the amount quietly, and then handing it over to the tired looking woman. She nodded. "Thank you, sir. You can go on through." Kid Flash turned and walked forward, looking over his shoulder at Jinx, almost as if making sure she wouldn't run off.

Jinx stood beside him. "What now?"

Kid Flash shrugged. "We have fun."

The two drifted inside of the park, at first just observing. Jinx had never really seen how simplistic the games could be and still entertain the masses so easily. Children ran by, balloons and cotton candy in hand. Music tinkled playfully in the corners of… everywhere, all kinds of songs sounding off.

Jinx scratched her ear, examining quietly. It was obvious that Kid Flash kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye, trying to observe her reaction. His hand had dropped from hers, but he nudged closer until their shoulders touched. Jinx didn't object.

-:-

They had just been walking around, looking for near half an hour, when Kid Flash pointed. "Look at that!" He said, his eyes lighting up suddenly.

Jinx followed the direction of his hand. In the near distance, an array of lights flashed to form the letters, "Twist N'Turn". Jinx quailed. The ride was one that turned, increasing speed slowly until it was whipping around and around almost violently. Screams issued from the seats, which revolved in circles on their own at almost the same speed. Jinx shook her head, eyes wide.

"I will _not_ go on that thing."

Kid Flash turned from where he had drifted forward unconsciously, his need for speed bringing him closer to the ride. "Aw, Jin-"

"Not in here." She said, pulling the brim of her hat farther down. "I'm…" she had not liked the name Jade as much as something more normal. "I'm Jenny." In truth, the name brought back memories. Well, not really memories, but a yearning for something warm and close.

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, but obeyed the request. "Okay _Jenny_." He wringed his hands, eager to board the spinning ride. "Come on, come on." His eyes begged her, and he sounded like a child pestering its parent for candy. "_Pleeeeease._ I really want to go on this one, and you have to."

"I do?" Jinx's eyes were distrustful. "Is that how it's going to be?"

Kid Flash nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Come on." He took her hand, and Jinx sighed, but stumbled after him, occasionally pulling in resisitance. She could feel his pace quicken almost abnormally, his anxiety and excitement for the ride covering and pushing away the caution he needed to take.

"Wally…" she hissed, digging her heels in the dirt to slow him down, though his hand only tightened on her wrist, and he dragged her onward.

A bored man let them up the stairs, and Kid Flash almost jumped into a car, pulling Jinx after him. The man pulled a bar down, offered to help Jinx strap herself in, but Jinx only glared and clicked the belt together on her own.

The cart was small, so that Kid Flash had his arm touching Jinx's. It was painted bright blue and green, lightning bolts streaking the side in yellow glory. She laid her head back, closed her eyes, waited for the ride to start. Corny music played in Jinx's ears, and she sighed. It would stop soon.

Kid Flash whooped when the ride lurched forward, and the seats raised. Jinx straightened, suddenly nervous. "I better not get sick." She said to Kid Flash, and he laughed, swinging an arm up into the air.

"Just enjoy it!"

And then it really started.

Jinx felt like she was seeing the same rainbow of colors, again, and again, and again. Her head rolled around almost dangerously as the ride started swinging the multiple compartments in circles. She shrieked when it jumped her up another level, and now they were twice as high off of the ground. She gripped Kid Flash's arm wildly.

"Can we stop it now?" She said, almost loudly. His eyes were wide open, and Jinx closed hers. He was so excited. She gulped, and her hat jumped up from her head, and Jinx clapped a hand to her forehead, settling it back on. She slid in her seat, the acceleration causing her skinny frame to move back and forth, and she smashed into Kid Flash, and he laughed louder, yelling in glee at the adrenaline.

The ride kept going and going, and Jinx felt dizzy. She swallowed a lump in her throat when it finally started slowing down and lowering. When it finally stopped, Jinx found herself slumped against Kid Flash, her cap slid up her forehead.

Kid Flash jumped forward when the bar was raised. "That was great!" He stretched, smiled. "We should do it again!"

Then he turned and saw Jinx, glaring at him from where she rose unsteadily. "Or not…" he smiled sweetly, taking her hand and helping her.

Jinx scowled. "I'm fine!" but she stumbled, her eyesight blurred, and let him help her down the stairs anyway.

He found her a bench, and waited while her gut settled back to where it was supposed to be. Kid Flash looked around quietly, his expression happy. "Are you hungry?" The question was sudden, unexpected, but greeted by a low growling sound that came from his stomach.

Jinx's insides were still tender. "No, I'm not." It was obvious that he was though. First of all, it was almost one in the afternoon, and second, he was a boy. _And,_ Jinx reasoned, _his metabolism is probably very fast_. He needed energy to run as fast as he did.

Kid Flash frowned. "Agh, I'm starving." He stood, brushed off his pants. "Can I just go get a snack or something?"

Jinx stood also, finally finding that her feet had walked back under her again. "Sure." Kid Flash smiled, then wandered into the mess of booths and rides aimlessly. Jinx followed, and soon enough, a large cart with windows and a line of people came into view. In the top, written in bright green letters were the words, "_Food! Drink! We have lemonade and hotdogs, cotton candy and soda!" _Flags weaved in the light breeze, their red and blue colors clashing against the background. Kid Flash got into line immediately.

Jinx pointed towards a small picnic table. "I'll be over there." He watched her go over, and sit down, and smiled when she shot him a friendly wave. Jinx turned, so her back was against the table, and examined the scene from under her dark ball cap.

It was a happy, light occasion, obviously. Children laughed and yelled, and a few even cried. Teenagers ran back and forth, gossiping with their friends, and Jinx watched them. Normal kids. So different then herself.

None of them had pink hair. None of them had pink eyes. Most likely none of them had even really been in a serious fight. They didn't have police chasing after them. They didn't have other abnormal heroes kicking at their tails. They didn't have to wonder if they would live today or die tomorrow.

Jinx heard one laugh flirtingly, slapping the arm of a boy next to her.

Jinx stole a glance to Kid Flash.

_They don't have Wally._

-:-

"Aren't you done yet?"

"No." Kid Flash stuffed the last bit of a hotdog into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out the sides. He chewed for a lot less time that Jinx thought was healthy, then swallowed, if not with some difficulty. "Almost."

Jinx put a hand to her forehead, her ball cap sliding up her hairline a bit. A few strands of straight pink drifted in front of her eyes, and she tucked them behind her ears impatiently.

Kid Flash offered her a big pretzel. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No." Jinx looked at the hot food, salt dusted along the top, cheese in a container at the side. "Well," she hesitated, then dragged it towards herself. "I'll have some." Her appetite had awakened when she feasted her eyes on the bounty that Kid Flash had bought.

He opened up a can of Mountain Dew, and drank it all in one inning. Jinx stared at him over her cheese-covered pretzel. He blinked at her.

"What?"

She blinked at him, her eyes traveling from the empty and crumpled can to him and back.

"Oh." He blushed sheepishly, his cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. The freckles splashed across his nose stood out even more fervently. "I need the energy."

Jinx nodded, understanding. She slathered more cheese onto the soft bread, then bit into it. It was good. She finished it off in the next few minutes.

Kid Flash was leaned against the table, watching her. "You have quite an appetite for a girl."

Jinx quirked an eyebrow. "Is that good or bad?"

Kid Flash shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Jinx wiped her mouth with a napkin, her eyes once again straying to the people going by. It was so foreign to her. A public event. At least, one that didn't have the police yelling from outside a building, "Come out with your hands up!" or something stupid like that. It was brighter, and getting warmer. She was glad Kid Flash told her to dress light. She would have come in a hoodie otherwise.

Kid Flash touched her elbow. "Ready?"

She nodded, stood, gathered some of the trash. Kid Flash scooped up the rest, dumping it into a nearby trash can. Jinx did the same. Kid Flash stuck his hands into his pockets. "There are some fun places I know we can go."

Jinx nodded. "You've been to one of these before, haven't you?"

Kid flash shrugged. "When I was little, I used to come. And last year I was just running around…" they both knew what that meant. "…and I found this." He grinned. "It was lots of fun."

Jinx smiled back, her eyes soft. Just like him to find something young and fun and invite her to it. "Oh, neat. Where are you going to take me?"

Kid Flash's eyes brightened up, and he grabbed her wrist. "If I remember right, it's this way." They rounded a corner, past some smaller kiddy games. A sort of twisted construction made of metal and painted bright colors popped into view.

Jinx was dragged into the line. "What is this?"

Kid Flash laughed. "A fun house!" He pointed. "Mirrors are in there. They make you look weird. And there is this maze thing too, but it's clear, so you hit the walls."

Jinx said nothing.

"It's fun! Really."

Jinx silently shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.

It was their turn, and they walked in together. Three staircases greeted them, lined up in a curving row. Kid Flash stood, examining. "Which one?"

Jinx moved to the left, and ascended, her feet pounding on the dirty blue metal. She could hear Kid Flash behind her, close. As the spiraling stair ended, glass and clear plastic met their view.

This was the maze Kid Flash had talked about. He jumped forward. "This is the fun part!" Kid Flash moved into the mess quickly, and Jinx could only follow. He felt with his hands where to go, and more than once his knuckles collided with a pane. He laughed each time.

Finally, after many lefts and rights, backtracking and moving ahead, the entrance to the next part of the house appeared. Kid Flash whooped with delight and ran forward, a bit more superhumanly than was safe.

Jinx saw the glass crack threateningly when he hit.

He fell back, landing on Jinx, and she squealed. "Wally." She growled at him calmly. He rubbed his head.

"Sorry. Got a little… eager." Kid Flash laughed, and pulled Jinx to her feet. Jinx brushed off her pants and led the way out, turning right, skirting around the pane, and stepping through the door. She quirked a triumphant eyebrow at Kid Flash, and he blushed lightly.

Mirrors. Everywhere there were distorting mirrors. Jinx felt eerie as she entered the room. Looking into the first mirror, Jinx found herself shrunken to a munchkin size, and extremely fat. Her face was pulled oddly to each side. Kid Flash appeared behind her, his red mop of hair stretching across the length of the mirror. He started laughing, and pointed. "Look at how fat I am!" He said, cracking up.

Jinx felt a giggle pull at her lips.

The next mirror made them both very tall and thin. Jinx's head was stretched strangely, her forehead spreading across the top of the mirror. She twisted her hips to the side. The mirror-Jinx shook her absolutely anorexic hips in response. Kid Flash again came to stand beside her, and he started laughing again. "This is the best part." He said, clutching his stomach.

They moved to the next. It made them both extremely curvy, even in places where you should not be. Jinx's baseball cap developed womanly hips of its own. Jinx laughed this time. She was such a thin girl, with absolutely no curves. It made her laugh to see what she would look like with them, even if they were distorted and abmormal.

Kid Flash looked even worse. Jinx couldn't stop laughing this time. He had become one of the female species, his waist thin and his hips large, his chest busting out to the sides. He smacked Jinx's arm. "Haha. Okay stop,"

They left the room, and a curvy slide proved to be the way out. Kid Flash pushed jinx down, and she swirled along the side, landing neatly on her feet. Jinx suddenly heard a loud whoop behind her and groaned before Kid Flash came shooting off the end, knocking her over and sprawling them both in the grass.

Kid Flash laughed, untangling their limbs. He lay beside Jinx in the grass for a moment. "Fun?"

Jinx smiled. "Fun."

A giddy smile appeared on his lips, and he got up quickly, hauling Jinx to her feet as well. He brushed off himself, and she herself. Jinx swept a stray blade of yellow-green grass of his shoulder, he fixed her hat, straightening it.

Jinx blushed, and Kid Flash quickly changed the topic. "Ever been on a Ferris wheel?"

Jinx shook her head. Of course she had seen the giant things, but had always been a tad afraid of heights.

Kid Flash almost jumped. "Sweet. I'll get on one with you if you want."

Jinx nodded. "Alright." It sounded like a swell thing to do. But it was still hot. It would be better to do that later in the afternoon. "Later."

Kid Flash agreed hastily. "Okay. I'm hungry again."

Jinx rolled her eyes.

-:-

The two again wandered around, They rode both the smaller and larger rides, emitting many girlish screams from Jinx, and few from Kid Flash, though he denied it. They came to many booths, and with a little luck, Kid Flash won Jinx a teddy bear. She took it grumpily, saying she didn't like the things and that she would probably rip it accidentely later, but hugged it anyways, admiring the way it's softly rounded ears rubbed against her cheek.

The sun was starting to set. Jinx said she was thirsty, and Kid Flash bought her and himself both a lemonade. They were more sweet than bitter, and Jinx drank hers greedily, the bear tucked under her arm.

Kid Flash finished his own lemonade as they approached the Ferris wheel. He grinned at her, his blue eyes excited. "Ready?"

Jinx nodded. It was very tall, she thought. 'Yeah, why not?"

Kid Flash led her on, their seat swaying as they sat. Jinx set the bear to the side, so it wouldn't fall over the edge and be lost in the dirt.

The ride swung up, safely, yet unsteadily. Jinx sucked in air nervously as they flew away from the ground, the people shrinking underneath them. She leaned into Kid Flash, and he chuckled, swinging an arm around her shoulders. She sagged warmly.

They went around a few times, sweeping down and then back up again, and then the ride halted, at the top. Jinx looked up from her frozen view at the ground, and the sun blinded her, a perfect view of the skies. Clouds drifted lazily across, their bottom halves illuminated in shining oranges and reds. Distant pinks swirled in the back.

Jinx made a sound of contentment, and then heard Kid Flash whisper against her ear. "Nice, isn't it?" Jinx nodded, looking up at him. His red hair shone like gingery fire in the bright light, and Jinx couldn't help but smile. How cute.

"It's really nice…" Kid Flash leaned lower, his eyes searching for something Jinx couldn't exactly explain.

Jinx blushed, but closed her eyes. He closed his, and Jinx could smell that boyish smell that lingered in his hair, his neck, in him.

His lips tasted like sweet lemonade.


	15. Sun Shower

_A/N: Sorry again about the late update. My laptop died about two weeks ago, and the place where I put it to be repaired is notoriously slow. I've been using my parent's computer, and I don't like saving my chapter files on here. It's not comfortable to me, for some strange reason. Anyways… I was really, really happy with the reaction I got with the last chapter. Responding to a review, I must say I agree. That kiss WAS very overdue. I kind of threw this chapter together, but hopefully my story charm will be good enough for you guys. Hey, did you know we're over 300 reviews?! I didn't realize until I read over last chapter! I'm soooo proud, and happy. Thanks to you all. You guys are really awesome. LOVE YOU!!! Also… just a little side note that may or may not be of interest to you all: I have never watched a single horror movie in my entire lifetime._

**Chapter Thirteen: Sun Shower**

Jinx lifted one foot out of her bathtub, wriggling her wrinkled toes. With a happy smile she patted the water surface, splishing quietly. It was obvious that she had been overly happy lately; a sort of high had come over her. The team was questioning her.

_Gizmo scowled at Jinx's back as she nudged the refrigerator door closed with her hip. She hummed lightly to herself as she turned on the faucet, washing her strawberries in their green plastic basket. _

"_What's wrong with you?" He questioned, pulling himself up onto a chair. "You're acting weird."_

_Jinx jumped around, dropping the fruit and scattering it over the countertop. "Jeez," she breathed, placing a hand around her neck. "You scared me."_

_Gizmo rolled his eyes. "And you're scaring me." He drummed his fingertips against the table, watching her with beady eyes. _

_Jinx turned back to the strawberries, pulling them all together and washing them each again. "Why is that?" She turned the faucet off, retrieving a bowl and a knife from a cabinet. She started individually cutting the small red fruits, slicing off the green tops and then chopping them into sections and halves._

_Gizmo held up his hand, touching each small digit as he counted off a list. "Well, you're happy, which is just weird in itself."_

_Jinx rolled her eyes. "Why, thank you."_

_Gizmo ignored her, continuing. "You're actually eating in public." Jinx nodded. She usually ate alone, in the middle of the night. Everything tasted better after midnight, anyways. Gizmo opened his mouth, sighed, and kept going. "You were singing in the shower this morning. Something that scared me, personally. And you keep disappearing. You've always stayed in your room unless you wanted a chocolate bar or something else… girlish like that."_

_Jinx shrugged, moving her fruit into the bowl she had picked up. "Well, I am happy, I guess." _

_Gizmo glared at her as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "It's like something different happened." He twiddled a hand in the air casually. "Like you have a boyfriend or something." He laughed, not noticing Jinx's shoulders tense. "But we all know that wouldn't really happen. It's, like, not possible."_

"_Why not?"_

"_What?" Gizmo stared at her back, at the large gray sweatshirt that Kid Flash had given her. It had been cold, and she had been cold, and Kid Flash had taken off his sweatshirt and given it to her to wear. Of course, Gizmo had no knowledge of that. Nor of the kisses he had placed on her cheeks and nose as he left her by her headquarters that same afternoon._

"_I said, why not? Why wouldn't I be able to get a boyfriend?" She dried off her hands, picked up the sugar bowl and sprinkled some of it onto her strawberries. Picking up the bowl, and then a fork, she turned around to face Gizmo. "Why is that so horribly hard to imagine?"_

"_Well…" Gizmo sputtered unexpectedly. He hadn't thought she would question him. She usually cursed at him, threw a hex and then stormed away. "I… I just…"_

"_Exactly." _

_With a triumphant look, Jinx exited the room, strawberries in hand and a smile on her face..._

That was a couple days ago, and Jinx had laughed silently when she reached her room. It was true then.

Kid Flash was pretty much her boyfriend.

And, as a matter of fact, she did not mind. She tilted her head back into the water, soaking her neon hair completely. Kid Flash was happy, and eager, and funny… Jinx was serious, practical and solemn. She had never truly believed it when people said opposites attract, but now she had reason to.

Jinx lifted her foot out of the warm bathwater, toeing the faucet. Hot water poured into the bath, sending ripples across and under the many bubbles. Steam had stained her mirror a while ago, and now a fresh layer was being painted over once more. She closed her eyes.

Perfect.

Life kind of needed to stop right then. Just stop, for one wisp of a moment. If the world had a pause button, Jinx would have her finger on it. It would give her time to revel in the bliss she was currently experiencing.

A perfect kind of bliss. A very perfect bliss.

Jinx turned off the water, inhaled, and dipped under the surface. She smoothed her hair back, washing away any trace of soap or shampoo that had escaped her earlier scrubbing. Then she bobbed up again, sank back, and relaxed.

How nice…

When Jinx reopened her eyes, the water wasn't as hot as it had been. She hadn't really been asleep, so to speak. She had been… content.

With a sigh, Jinx pulled the plug away from the drain, hearing the familiar slurping gurgle that accompanied it. She stood, wrung out her hair and pulled a towel from the bathroom shelf. Wrapping herself tightly, she stepped away from the comfortable tub.

Spa time was over.

She dried, toweled her hair and then slipped into her large white bathrobe. It was normal, tied in the middle, pocket on the side. A standard staple for any girl.

Suddenly, a knock at the door. It was loud, and surprising, and Jinx jumped. She growled, "Who…" and stalked towards the metallic doorway. The boys had seen her in the robe before, and her nighties and workout clothes. Being surrounded by males… there were rules that were ignored, and some that were laid down with a firm hand. They had come to grips that Jinx enjoyed her privacy.

She pushed the button, the door flew open, and Kid Flash's all too familiar face greeted her. She immediately became aware of what she was wearing… or more so, what she wasn't.

Just the stupid bathrobe.

"Hey, kid." Wally said, leaning in to kiss her.

Jinx placed a hand over his mouth, and he looked to her questioningly. Jinx glanced down the hallway, placing her other hand to the neck of her robe, pulling the two sides together. "What are you doing here?" There was a hiss in her voice.

Wally kissed her palm, and then pulled it away. "Bad time, huh?" Jinx nodded vigorously in reply, snatching her hand back and clutching her robe more tightly. Wally frowned. "Well…" He leaned against the doorway, grinning in that silly way he did. "I just couldn't stay away."

Jinx smiled. "That's sweet, but you can't stay." She threw another furtive glance down the hallway. "Come by tomorrow? Three?"

Wally nodded.

"Okay then."

In one swift movement Wally grabbed her shoulders and kissed her quietly, then sped off. A lingering goodbye whispered in her ear. He was gone. Jinx smiled and closed the door.

_That boy._

She flopped against her bed.

"Perfect."

-:-

Jinx tapped her foot against the dirty pavement impatiently. Kid Flash was late. Very, _very _late. And Jinx was starting to become a bit nervous. That was the bad thing about dating. You worried more.

Wally was never late. Never. He never needed to be. Wally almost had all the time in the world. He was a super. He could run to the Pyramids and back in les than a second. Jinx bit her lip.

A sudden burst of hot air took Jinx by surprised, and she stumbled back just as deadweight hit her head on. She fell over clumsily as Kid Flash rolled on top of her, increasing the force of the fall. Jinx blew out a breath of air.

"Wally…" She groaned, sitting up and pushing him off. "I know you want attention, but I don't think tackling me is the answer."

Wally raised a hand to his forehead, sitting up and throwing a sloppy, weary grin in her direction. "Sorry." It was then that Jinx noticed the dark marks on his uniform, and the streaks of ash on his cheeks. There was soot in his hair.

"What happened to you?"

Wally sighed heavily. "There was a fire down by 22nd street." He shook his head. "I had to get everyone out before the building collapsed."

Jinx patted his arm. "Well, that was good of you, but you're a mess."

Wally nodded. "I know." He flopped back onto the sidewalk, spreading his arms and legs out. "I'm beat."

Jinx put a hand on her chin, then stood and brushed off her pants. "You should get cleaned up." With an uneasy glance in the direction of headquarters, Jinx offered him a hand. "Do you want to come inside?"

Wally grasped her hand and pulled himself up. "No, I don't want to get you in trouble."

Jinx sighed. "I was hoping you would say something like that."

"I have enough energy to get back to my place instead. It's just across town." He threw an arm around her waist, almost possessively. With another blast of air, Jinx found them in front of a cozy looking building, with neatly trimmed bushes and manicured trees and flowerbeds.

Wally walked forward and opened the door. "It's an apartment building. I live way up on the top floor. Pretty cool sites."

Jinx nodded quietly, following him in. They walked past a stairwell, and then towards a set of elevators. One opened just after Wally pushed a button, and they both stepped in. It wasn't long before the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors parted slowly. Wally immediately stepped out and walked to the end of the hallway, slipping a key out of his red-orange boot as he came to the door. Flashing it in front of Jinx, he said, "Home sweet home." and unlocked the door.

They stepped in and Jinx examined the room in a few glancing sweeps. It was very average size, with a couch and a television. A long line of curtains were placed behind the television, and Jinx presumed that this was the window Wally had mentioned, with the neat sites. A small kitchen with a fridge and stove and toaster oven was close to the living room. A small round table was set up in the corner, with a stack of cards and a few dirty dishes set up on it. Just leading off was another door, and Jinx guessed that this was Wally's room.

He, in the meantime, had swept the dirty dishes off the table and dumped them into a sink that was carefully hidden behind the small fridge. He smiled sheepishly, taking a blanket off of the couch and folding it. "I had some friends over yesterday, and it's kinda still a mess."

With that covered, he motioned Jinx to the couch. "I'm going to clean up. Make yourself comfortable. I've got soda in the fridge, and chips in the cabinet… you know. Whatever you want." He disappeared into the bedroom, and Jinx heard him say, "Be out soon." The door snapped shut and Jinx heard running water in the pipelines not soon after.

She moved from her frozen spot near the doorway and sat down on the couch, looking around curiously. This made her agitated though, and soon enough she rose again and moved towards the window. "Sites, hm?" She yanked on the cord and the curtain sprang open.

The ocean greeted her gaze, if not from a mild distance. Titan Tower gleamed off in the side, its prominent figure as sturdy and strong as ever. Buildings stood stubbornly below, smoke-stained and bustling with people. Citizens walked the streets. Out in the ocean, a boat sailed by slowly, wasting time away.

Jinx smiled. "That's a site."

She backed towards the couch, settling herself into a corner and keeping her eyes trained on the window, and the world outside. Jinx heard some muffled singing and laughed quietly, before standing again, restless once more, and heading to the fridge. There were some frozen pizzas, sodas – mostly Mountain Dew – and other snacky foods, along with meats and fruits and cheese. Kid Flash led a well-balanced diet, apart from the Mountain Dew.

She closed the door, wandering back towards the window. The water had shut off in the background, and it was a few more minutes before the door opened, and a squeaky clean Kid Flash stepped through.

He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his hair ruffled and still wet. He grinned at Jinx. "I smell all good now."

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Please, I don't need to know the details of your bodily odors."

Kid Flash laughed, zipping forward and grabbing her around the waist. She falsely shrieked, saying "Stop!" and pushing him away before they both fell back on the couch.

Wally said into her ear. "Wanna watch a movie or something?"

Jinx shrugged. "Alright." Wally rose and moved into the kitchen, putting a bag of popcorn into the microwave before maneuvering around the table towards the TV and leaning down to rummage through the cabinets. "What do you have?"

Kid Flash pulled some DVDs out, turning around and examining them. "Mostly horror movies."

"Ah, so you're a horror movie kind of guy."

Wally shot her a look. "Are you a horror movie kind of girl?"

Jinx shrugged. "Well, living with mostly boys… I usually get outvoted. I've learned to tolerate, and I usually enjoy." She smiled. "They call me a critic though. I guess I talk during movies."

Wally grinned. "Fine with me. I throw stuff at the TV."

The popcorn conveniently started to burst out in a loud array of bursting noises, and Wally tossed the movies on the floor. He headed towards the kitchen, opening the fridge as the microwave finished up and the popping parade quieted. He talked over his shoulder to Jinx, who was looking towards the movies. "I have mostly Mountain Dew in here…"

"I noticed."

"But there's a couple Pepsi's and a 7-Up if you want that instead?" He straightened just as the timer beeped and took out the popcorn, whipping a bowl out of nowhere and dumping it in. "Extra butter!"

"I'll have the 7-Up." Jinx said. Wally picked it up out of the refrigerator and tossed it into her waiting hands, then zipped abnormally towards the window. He pulled the curtains, dimming the room significantly.

"That's better." With that Wally took less than a second to turn out the lights and retrieve the popcorn from the kitchen counter before again grabbing a handful of movies from the floor. "Which one?"

Jinx selected a random one from the pile he presented to her. "I haven't watched that one before, I think."

Kid Flash curled a smile to her. "Oooooh…. I like that one. He fixed the other movies back in the cabinet before placing the DVD into its player. Finally falling to sit beside Jinx, he threw an arm around behind her. "And don't worry," he waggled his eyebrows. "You can hold my hand if you get scared."

Jinx rolled her eyes, smacking his knee. "I seriously doubt that, considering the sorts of things I've gone through."

Wally laughed almost competitively. "Well, we shall see, little missy."

"Little missy?"

"Mmm."

Jinx pulled the popcorn bowl into her lap. "Whatever..."

With that the previews began.

The movie was as any other normal horror movie went. There were the subtle clues meant to chill the blood, the blank comments then the dramatic music afterward. The disappearances and scared looks. The one hero and the damsel in distress, of course.

Wally had been right. He did throw things at the TV. He threw a handful of popcorn as the girl snuck into the closet, crying quietly. "Boo, you idiot!" he had yelled, and Jinx had faithfully agreed. Then he threw Jinx empty 7-Up can, later on, as the hero was facing off the villain. "Just get him already!" Jinx had cried, flapping a hand at the TV. "Stop it with the monologue!"

And then the climax. Jinx had, unknowingly, squeezed Wally's hand, not in fear, but in anxiety. "Ahh… easy girl." He had said, prying her hand away before focusing once more on the television.

All in all, it was a good movie.

-:-

Wally and Jinx were walking, just a block away from the headquarters. Jinx pulled Wally to a stop. The weather had transformed from clear skies to somewhat cloudy in the past hour or so that they had been watching the movie.

"I should probably fend for myself now. I don't want you to get in trouble with the guys if they see you or something." She grasped his hand, her hot pink eyes begging obedience.

Wally sighed, but nodded faithfully. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know the story." He kissed her nose before smiling. "You had a good time?"

The rain started to fall then. It was still sunny out, the corner of the fireball peeking around a few clouds in the skies to make one last rebellion before shutting up. It was a sun-shower.

Jinx and Wally were spattered lightly, becoming fairly damp. It became heavier, turning into fat droplets that splashed and protested as they smacked against the ground, and left big round splotches on Wally's hoodie.

"Fantastic."

Wally grinned, his hair running into his clear eyes. It created a smeared red and blue look, and Jinx laughed at the site. Wally smiled wider, not exaclty understanding, but nonetheless happy that she was happy. "Well, good. You know, I just want – mmmm!" She put her hands on the base of his neck before kissing him again, her lips pushing against his almost forcefully.

A kiss in the rain, the sun sparkling overhead. She had wondered what it felt like. Truth be told, it was kind of nice.

She laughed as they broke off before swooping in again, kissing once more, sweetly, before parting.

"Bye."

"Bye."

And that was that.


	16. Facing a Consequence

_A/N: I've had comments of wanting some action, some more drama and intense moments, so here you be. Hope this fills your needs. And, thank you to one comment to a reviewer who actually woke me up and got me thinking. Last chapter was a filler, more than anything. I hope this one is better. Also, I get a lot of one-word reviews. I do really like looooong reviews you know. If you could critique me a bit, I would appreciate it._

_Also, a warning for this chapter. There is a bit of strong language, and I do hope no one is _too_ offended by that._

_Thanks again, you guys! Hope you enjoy._

**Chapter Fourteen: Facing a Consequence**

"I can't stay forever. I'm supposed to be doing city rounds at the moment." Kid Flash said to Jinx quietly. They were standing underneath an awning at the moment, taking shelter from the rain. Jump City had been experiencing rather frequent downpours lately. It would sprinkle at first, and then the heavens would open up and a whole waterfall of rain would crash down on them. Jinx's hair was wet and sloppy; it had fallen down from her signature devil horn shape. Kid Flash's fiery mop was plastered against his forehead.

"Mmm." Jinx said, looking out from over Kid Flash's shoulder at the streets. The Teen Titans were out of town at the moment. Titans East and a few other supers had been gathered under Robin's commanding presence and told what to do, and where and when they should.

Kid Flash kissed her cheek just as a buzzer on his communicator went off. "Agh, there it goes. All those scummy criminals think they can get away with everything now that the Titan's are gone."

Jinx narrowed her eyes. "Scummy criminals?" Kid Flash immediately recognized his error.

"I said a bad thing, huh?"

Jinx turned on her heels and maneuvered over the chain link fence behind her, walking down the alleyways, not caring that rain was cascading down her shoulders.

"Jinx, Jinx, Jinx…" Kid Flash appeared beside her in a moment. "I didn't mean you, I meant…" He fumbled for words. "…the other people, you know."

"No, Wally, apparently I don't know." She stopped, making him backtrack to face her. "I'm one of those 'scummy criminals.'" She brought a hand to her forehead, wiping her long hair out of the way of her eyes. "Is that what you think about me?"

"No! No, you know that." He grabbed her wrist. "I don't mean you. I know you."

"Wally!" She pried her wrist out of his grasp. "You can't just expect me to forget what you said! I live with those scummy criminals. That's my life." She turned her searing eyes away from his. "I'm the bad guy."

Wally snuck his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am." She tried to push him away from her, but Kid Flash was apparently stronger than he looked. "Have you told any of your super-hero friends about me?"

Kid Flash blushed hotly under her gaze. "Well, no, but –"

"Exactly!" She shrugged helplessly. "It's the same with me, vice versa. I mean, the team suspects that something weird is going on, but I still haven't told them. You know how horrible it would be if I did? I would be declared a traitor, and a spy. I would be slandered and possibly hurt for my actions. Even killed…" She sighed heavily, laying her cheek against his shoulder. "We're so irresponsible. I mean, I don't think this was a very good choice. We both didn't stop to think about the consequences."

Kid Flash put his chin over the top of her head. "Well, we're happy. That's got to say something."

"I suppose you're right."

He lowered his head so his lips were just over her ear. "You know what, they don't know what they're missing." He rocked her back and forth, comfortingly. "We're happy together. I mean, I've heard tons of other supers say they wish they were happier; they want something more in life. I don't wish that. Do you?"

Jinx wracked her brain. "No."

"It's because we've got each other. Even if they do eventually find out – and I'm very sure they will – I'm still going to be here for you."

Jinx grinned against his shoulder, against the red and yellow marks on his suit. "And me for you."

"I mean…" He pulled her back, studying her face for a moment. Jinx grinned sloppily, laughing silently at the way his red hair flopped into his eyes. Water ran down his cheeks. He sighed, trying to find the right words. "I – I think I love you."

Jinx was totally taken aback.

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure…" He put a hand on the nape of her neck. "I love you."

Jinx could not find words. Her stomach was twisting and clenching in her belly, doing cartwheels and somersaults. And it wasn't out of fear or anticipation, nervousness or worry… It was out of joy. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I've never loved anybody before." Jinx bit her lip, casting her eyes downward.

"Me either."

"But… I think I love you, too." She smiled sheepishly, and he grinned, pulling her close into a hug. They kissed briefly. Then the alarm on his communicator went off again.

What horrible timing.

"Err, I swear. I'm going to murder this thing." He said, laughing. With a kiss on her nose, he said, "I really have to go. They'll be wondering."

Just as he was about to speed off, Jinx pulled at his arm. "We need to talk about that."

"What?"

"The whole secret thing. Something has to be done. You and I both know it, Wally."

Kid Flash nodded, noticing the serious, anxious look on her face. "I know." He pulled her close to him suddenly. "Hey, don't worry too much about it. We'll figure something out."

Jinx nodded, and then pushed him off. "Go… do your thing. Don't keep them waiting too much longer."

Kid Flash nodded and zoomed away, leaving only the rain in his shadow.

-:-

"Hey."

Jinx looked up from the newspaper, glaring at Gizmo over the wrinkled pages. "What?"

"Some of us are going out to get a few things." He averted his eyes. Jinx smirked. Gizmo had always been uncomfortable with the brightness of her eyes.

Of course, they both knew exactly what "going to get a few things" meant. Out to do their job. Steal and cause chaos. And, of course, Jinx wanted to say no. Nowadays she always wanted to say no. She didn't want the chance of running into a certain hero and have to make a decision. But then again… the team was growing increasingly restless, and if she didn't make some effort to do some bad, they would become even _more _suspicious. She had to, really. No choice allowed.

"Alright."

Fate led them to a large electronics store. Mammoth apparently wanted an x-box, and Jinx decided she wouldn't mind a television in her bedroom. See-more, Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo made up the group. A very nice ensemble for destruction, really. See-more, perfect for the lookouts, Gizmo usually took out alarms and security cameras, Mammoth took care of security guards, and Jinx was just plain intimidating. She planned the whole thing out.

Gizmo was to plant a sensor on the roof. It would mess up all the security frequencies and send cameras and alarms into frenzy. Very useful for quick ins-and-outs. See-more would float, above the building, keeping a watchful eye on everything, and would buzz in on the communicator if any heroes were headed their way. Mammoth would be the threat, and Jinx, of course, would get the job done.

It happened quickly.

As soon as See-more was in position and gave the a-okay, Gizmo activated the frequency interrupter. It worked beautifully. Mammoth led the charge into the building, busting the doors open and roaring angrily. Or perhaps excitedly? There was immediate screaming all over the building.

Two security guards standing lazily over to the side pulled out guns as Jinx flew – tucked in a ball – over Mammoth's head and landed neatly on the other side. "Uh, uh, uh…" She said, waggling a finger to the officers. "Didn't your mommies tell you not to play with guns?" With one small hex, the guns flew away from the two, leaving them both holding their wrists with expressions of pain etched across their faces.

Mammoth rushed towards the two, knocking their heads together. They landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Jinx walked, almost nonchalantly, forward and said loudly, "Alright, folks. You know the drill, sit down." Many customers hurriedly flopped down on the floor. "You," she said, pointing to the people behind the counter, "hands up, please…" the frightened citizens immediately raised their hands. "Very good!" She walked towards the cashier, a young man, probably not much older than herself.

"Alright, cutie," she said, smiling in the twisted way she did. "Which way to the flat screens and TVs?"

He stuttered an answer, gesturing towards the other side of the store.

Jinx turned, hopping up to sit on the counter, and said to Mammoth, "Go get your pick, big guy; I'll hold it up here." Mammoth hurriedly scuttled off in the direction she pointed to, and Gizmo scuttled into his position, keeping an eye on the people on his raised mechanical stilts.

Jinx looked to the cashier. "Do you have iPods?" He nodded, pointing down to the display glass at the side. "Ah…" she crouched, pointing to a hot pink one that caught her fancy. "Get that out for me, would ya?"

He crouched, his hands bracing across the counter-top before opening the case and slipping out the iPod. "Very nice." She said, taking it from his hands. "Thanks, sweetie."

Of course, that's when See-more buzzed in. "You've got do-gooders, coming in fast."

Jinx nodded, catching Gizmo's eye. "How many?" She tucked the iPod into her pocket.

"Three… no, four. One keeps moving around too fast for me to close in on him."

Jinx felt herself pale, visibly. "Alright," she said, keeping cool. "Over and out."

A figure appeared in the doorway, a jaunty smile held on his lips. He raised a hand. "Stop in the name of –"

Kid Flash lost expression as soon as he saw Jinx, who waggled her fingers at him from behind Gizmo. Fortunately he couldn't see her.

But he could yell.

Gizmo screeched, _"MAMMOTH!"_

The giant of a man rushed out from the aisles, two large boxes under his arms, and roared competitively to Kid Flash. He dropped the boxes, running forward. Kid Flash quickly zipped around him as the other Titans entered the scene.

There was Speedy, Bumblebee, and Aqualad, all decked out in their colorful suits. She swung down from her seat on the counter. "How nice of you to join us." She raised a hand, her fingertips crackling with energy. "Now get lost."

The first blast was shot. Things were thrown and broken, kicks and punches were dished out. Jinx somersaulted towards Bumblebee, jumping up to disable her flight. Her perfectly aimed kick was successful, and Bumblebee fell, one of her wings crumpled. She landed in a roll, immediately jumping up.

"Girl, please." She aimed her electric stingers towards Jinx who easily sidestepped the beams, then sent a hex of her own. This disabled a blaster. Bumblebee rubbed her wrist gently, eyeing Jinx, who smiled sweetly.

"Girl, please." She mimicked, doing a few acrobatic moves and then swiping at Bumblebee. The superhero stumbled back, rubbed her jaw, and then aimed a blast from her pistol at Jinx's feet. It singed the black material.

Jinx rolled her eyes, finally kicking Bumblebee in the stomach and then administering a finishing blow to the back of her head. Bumblebee passed out cold, if only temporarily. Jinx brushed her skirt off triumphantly and then turned her gaze to Mammoth. He had Aqualad held high overhead, the skinny boy trapped in his meaty paws.

A sudden shine of bright light told Jinx to duck and roll. She did, and narrowly escaped an arrow to the shoulder from Speedy. He glared at her crossly from under his mask. "I've heard of you." He said, necking an arrow against the string before aiming sharply once more. An arrow flew, and then another, and another. Jinx did cartwheels, causing them to crash into shelves of mechanical materials. Speedy frowned. "You're bad luck, they say."

"They're right."

She leaped forward, jumping over his head and throwing a hex to his back. He fell, temporarily stunned.

Jinx turned once more to survey the damage she and the others had caused when a horrifying sight caught her eyes. Mammoth, slow as he was, had finally got a hold of Kid Flash, and had one large hand wrapped around his neck. Kid Flash wheezed, kicking at Mammoth's large girth.

Jinx inhaled sharply, and then, without thinking, threw a powerful hex to Mammoth's back. The giant stumbled, and fell. His entire body sizzled with pink electricity. And, fortunately, his grip on Kid Flash's neck loosened considerably, and Kid Flash fell to the floor, rolling away and coughing. He shot Jinx a wide-eyed look.

She panicked, frozen.

Without another moment's hesitation, her fingers flew to her mouth and she let a loud whistle pierce the air.

Gizmo sped to her side instantly. "What happened to Mammoth?" he screamed at her, his mechanical legs extending to tower above her.

"I – I…" She stuttered. "He was coming at me," she pointed an accusing finger towards Speedy's frozen body. "and I slipped, and… my hex… I misfired?"

"I guess!" Gizmo looked at her curiously.

Jinx shrugged off his stare. Mammoth had gotten up and grabbed the packages. He recovered much faster than some other heroes, because of his gigantic proportions. He growled at Jinx.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I… I'll explain. Let's go."

Mammoth grumbled under his breath, but ran out of the store. A bit stiffly, but running none the less.

When the others had gone around the corner, Jinx paused at the doorway. _I'm sorry,_ she mouthed. Kid Flash nodded before bowing his head back down once more.

With hard eyes, Jinx scaled the building and caught up with the others.

-:-

"What is wrong with you!?" Gizmo questioned Jinx, his voice shrill. "I mean, you practically knocked out Mammoth… You should know how to control your hexes."

"And you'll figure out just how controlled I can make them if you don't quit scrutinizing me!" Jinx growled back.

They were back in headquarters. Mammoth sat in the corner, a hot washcloth on his forehead. Jinx's hex had given him horribly sore muscles and a pounding headache, he said.

Jinx stood, walking over to Mammoth, who blinked at her calmly. "I'm sorry, big guy." She patted his hand sympathetically. "We all make mistakes, right?" He sighed, nodding.

Gizmo, in the meanwhile, was not so convinced. "You said you slipped and misfired. More like slipped and mis_judged_." He pointed at Jinx from his stand on the table-top. "You're hex was way too powerful for that little guy with the arrows. You've hit Mammoth in the practice arena before with a hex fit for any normal super. It's never really affected him. Slowed him down, maybe… but this one was big enough to nearly knock him out!" He tapped his toe curiously.

"Are you saying I hit him on purpose?" Jinx turned her eyes on the wee guy, the neon glowing brighter than usual.

Gizmo quailed slightly. "Well, I didn't exactly –" Jinx took a step closer. "No need to get hasty!" He said, waving his hands in a defensive manner. "It's just suspicious, that's all." He crossed his arms, pouting his lip to the side.

"Well, too bad." She fumed, then turned and stalked away from the kitchen. Jinx hurried out the headquarters main entrance, running out onto the streets. It was the middle of the night.

Letting her feet take her to nowhere, Jinx kept her head bowed and her eyes down. She dragged her feet.

Sure she felt bad about hitting Mammoth. He was one of her team-mates. He was, along with the brat, Gizmo, the first person she had ever done a mission with. There were a lot of combination moves they had practiced for hours in the training and simulation rooms. You could almost say she loved him like a brother. He was quieter, unlike his battle mania side, and liked watching movies in the dark. Jinx respected him, and him, her. She would never really hurt him. Not really on purpose.

But Kid Flash…

Suddenly, Mammoth had been the enemy. He had been hurting someone she loved. He had no longer been a team-mate, brother or friend. His face had blurred, his shape had malformed. Mammoth had become a fragmented form of evil. A threat to Kid Flash, and ultimately, to her. Jinx rubbed her arms, wishing she had grabbed a jacket.

It was different. Jinx knew she would never be able to go back to her petty life of crime now. Not now that Kid Flash had entered the picture.

When the sound of a car whistled in Jinx's ear, she finally looked up to find herself under the tree that led to Kat's balcony. It had been so long since she had been here! With an old familiar feeling, Jinx crouched, and then sprang, like a cat, onto the lowest branch. She swung her body back and forth, gaining momentum before hooking her toes on the next branch and climbing up from there. She reached the topmost branch with ease, pausing to gaze into Kat's room.

Kat was tucked soundly into bed, her room lit only by the light of the moon. The little girl's figure looked tiny and helpless in the large bed; her curls were sprawled across the pillow. Kat's mother sat on the bedside, stroking the hair away from Kat's face. Jinx looked at the face of the child's mother, seeing love and affection, adoration and simplicity.

Jinx felt a yearning in her stomach, a wistfulness that made her want to throw up just to get rid of the feeling. The feeling of wanting. She had never really known a mother. There was a blurry figure, of course… there always was.

But the man's picture was much sharper, and Jinx recalled him and the woman together in a room.

"_NO!" the woman screeched, her long brown hair flying away from her face. "No, she's coming with me."_

_The man said something quietly, but sternly, something the younger version of Jinx, the nameless version, could not pick up._

"_That's not true. You self-absorbed bastard! It's not true and you know it!"_

_A sharp smack had silenced her._

_The woman gasped as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. The man's voice rose. "How dare you! It's true and you know it." He shoved at her, and the woman stumbled back, speechless, still staring at the spot of blood on her hands from where she touched her cheek._

"_Just get out of here." The man snapped two suitcases shut, and Jinx remembered the young, dark-haired version of herself running into another room so that the man and woman would not see her. Not know that she knew._

_The man pounded past Jinx, where she clutched a doll to her chest possessively. Jinx heard a door creak shakily open, and then the muffled sound of the suitcases hitting the pavement. The woman rushed into the room suddenly. Jinx remembered tracing the floral on the woman's skirt as she knelt down and embraced Jinx. _

_She had said something, but Jinx could not remember what it was._

_Next she knew, the woman was pulled away roughly and shoved out the door. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He screamed, grabbing an empty bottle off a table and throwing it out the door after her. Jinx had put her hands over her ears as the shattering of glass echoed through the walls. "Good riddance you filthy bitch!"_

_Then the door had slammed shut._

Jinx closed her eyes, and opened them, blinking away the reverie. That was how they were. Bits and pieces of a broken past. Little by little, it sometimes came back. Sometimes not.

She sighed, watching at the mother of Kat kissed the little girl's forehead before standing up and striding away, closing the bedroom door softly behind her. Jinx stared at Kat's sleeping form for a moment before scaling the tree's trunk and perching on the roof.

She clutched her knees to her chest after awhile, staring up at the dim stars.

And it was even longer after that when she heard a quiet footstep. She spun around from where she was sitting, seeing Kid Flash standing there. He looked at her silently.

They stared at each other for awhile before Jinx sprang up and buried her head in his shoulder. She heard him grunt and only then did she notice the blooming spots of purple bruises scattered across his neck. She pulled the collar of his super suit away and saw the bruising trail down towards his chest.

"Ohh…" she whispered, placing her hands on his chest. "Wally, I'm so sorry. I…" She shook her head, tears welling into her eyes. He brought her close, hugging.

They stayed that way for a log time.

As they held each other in the darkness, Jinx whispered. "We've got to do something."

She felt Kid Flash's cheek brush her own. "I know."


	17. Decisions and Farewell

_A/N: I was very, very pleased with all the reviews I got. I'm actually reading sentences now instead of one-word reviews! Fantastic. I also got a few very good suggestions and perhaps some plot leads. Thank you all for reviewing! It astounds me to see other stories much longer than mine that aren't even over 100 reviews, and I'm at the 350 mark! Thank you so much for the encouragement and compliments! I love you guys!_

**Chapter Fifteen: Decisions and Farewell**

"That was way too close. Way too close…" Jinx was distressed, pacing back and forth in Kid Flash's apartment. Wally was sitting on the couch, a cold icepack to his neck. He winced when he smiled, but smiled none-the-less. She stopped in front of him and put a hand to her brow. "I don't want to do that again. It was too… scary." She drifted off, and let Kid Flash pull her down onto the couch.

"We'll figure something out." He said, looping an arm around her shoulder.

Jinx shook her head helplessly. "I don't think figuring something out is going to be enough. And when? When are we going to figure something out?" She gently peeled his fingers from the cold pack and took it into her own hands, revealing the purple and brown bruising. Dabbing gently, she continued. "We've been saying for weeks now that we're going to figure something out, and have we? No."

Kid Flash brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I think you're worrying too much."

Jinx gaped at him. "Worrying to much? After what happened I think I'm not worrying enough!"

Kid Flash flitted a hand as if dismissing the comment. "Yeah, well, it can be solved. Easy."

"Oh, can it?" Jinx quirked an eyebrow.

Kid Flash winced as she pressed a little harder, but continued. "Yes, it can. You can just be on my team."

"Your team?" Jinx rolled her eyes and stood, folding the cloth. "Wally, we've already discussed this matter." She walked to the kitchen, opening the freezer door and setting the pack inside to freeze over again.

Kid Flash frowned, turning to watch her. "Obviously not enough." He breathed heavily, sensing a fight. "I mean, honestly Jinx, how else are we going to fix this?"

Jinx urned, braced her hands against the counter. "You don't get it! If I come over to your side I'll be called a traitor and then be hunted down. It was very strongly taught and enforced in the Hive Academy."

Kid Flash nodded. "I understand that. You've covered it many times. But, seriously, it's a risk we would have to take." When Jinx shook her head, he went on. "Do you think I'm going to go without punishment? Jinx, I have been "consorting with the enemy" for five months! That is not okay in the heroic guidebook."

Jinx almost visibly weakened, her face taking on a tired, worn-out look. "I don't want to deal with this!" she moaned. "We got ourselves into quite a predicament, Zippy!" She draped herself over the counter, making a flat, _bleeegh_ sound.

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, laying his head onto the couch back. "You're making this harder than it really is, Jinx." He gestured into nothing. "Just be a hero! Haven't you ever wanted that? To see peoples faces smiling at you instead of running from you?"

Jinx spoke from against the countertop, muffling her words. "And risk being killed by my ex-comrades? I think not." She sighed, raising herself back up and moving towards him. "What if I don't want to change, Wally? Ever thought of that one?"

He frowned. "But you do."

"What if I don't?" She fumbled in her hoodie pocket and pulled out a gleaming hot pink nano iPod. With a strong smile she asked him, "Do you have one of these?"

"Yeah."

"How much did it cost you?"

Kid Flash scratched his head. "I think… 150 dollars?"

Jinx waggled the sleek metal device. "And mine was free. I kind of like that, you know."

Kid Flash threw a scowl in her direction. "Well you shouldn't."

"I shouldn't, blah, blah." She drifted off, sliding around the couch to sit by him. "I'm always going to want to do this sort of stuff, you know.

"I know."

"Temptation…"

"Is not as strong as you think."

"For those of you who don't listen."

"Those of us? Heroes?"

Jinx ran a hand over her eyes. "Yeah, Wally, heroes."

Kid Flash stood, crossed his arms and walked towards the window. The rain had started up again, staining the streets and streaking little droplets of water across his wide, glass view. "But you've never wanted to be one?"

Jinx remained on the couch. "I never had the chance to be one." She averted his eyes from his back, and then said, "I grew up on the streets, mostly. I had parents… and then again I didn't. I was in a gang of street-kids when I was little. Then most of them got busted and taken off. Somebody came and got me… I was taken to Hive." She explained in a rushed tone, trying to skip the sympathetic and pity that came with the rain.

"So you've never felt what being a hero is like?" Wally turned back to look at her.

Jinx bit her lip. As strong as she was trying to fight him off, Kid Flash was beating her down, wearing her down. He did that kind of thing.

"Why don't you just try it?"

Jinx hated this part. The truth was she was terrified. The people she had been fighting for so long… on her side? And, what if she wasn't good enough? What if they rejected her with scornful looks of hate? And worse off, what if they banished Kid Flash for being with her? That would be horrible… she would never forgive herself.

Saving people was what kept Kid Flash going in life. That, and Jinx herself. If it was taken away… he'd have nothing else, nothing but her. And, despite his frequent reassurances, Jinx wasn't sure if that would be enough.

"Can't we just run away?" Jinx couldn't believe she was asking him to do this. She felt ashamed, almost dirty. Asking him to give up the one thing that made him happy, the one thing she didn't want him to lose.

Kid Flash pulled her close when she walked up to stand beside him. "You know we can't live like that. You and me both."

Jinx could feel it now. That feeling… the experience you get when you're standing on the edge of some great cliff, with your toes hanging off the edge. The knowledge that, if she leaned too far forward, she would lose her balance and be lost into nothingness forever. To know it could all be gone. Just like that.

"What if…" There were too many what ifs for her to specify on one. "What if it doesn't work out?"

Kid Flash looked at her solemnly, his arm around her waist. His eyes shone in the dreary gray light, and Jinx put her head on his shoulder, just to escape that gleaming gaze. "I'll make it work." He leaned his cheek on the top of her head. "We've got to make this decision. Are you with me?"

A long pause… considering, reconsidering… silence.

"I'm with you."

-:-

"Where have you been?"

Jinx jumped from her place past the kitchen doorway, sneaking through the living room. She spun around, stumbled back, and knocked an empty glass off a side-table. Her frantic eyes found See-more, who was holding a half-eaten candy bar in the kitchen.

"What?" She put a hand on her heart, trying to slow her breathing. Just See-more. But this would be bad.

Jinx and Kid Flash had agreed. After a long round of questions and making arrangements, they had _finall_y agreed. Jinx was to gather her things… or, as many things as she could in a small amount of time. They could always sneak in later to get the last few things.

"I said where were you? You've been gone for a whole day and a night." See-more stared at her cautiously and curiously with his one, large eye. What he said was true. Day had turned to night by the time Jinx tip-toed into the base.

Jinx picked up the glass from the floor, weighing it in her hand. "I… was out."

"Obviously." He took another bite from his candy bar, blinking at her. "You know, you've been acting a bit strange." Jinx swallowed uneasily, and then walked into the kitchen.

"Have I?" she said, as though clueless. She put the glass into the sink, started running water and rinsed it out, adding soap and scrubbing.

"Yes, and it's not like you." See-more watched her carefully. "You keep disappearing, and you've been happier than I've seen you in a long time-"

"Is it bad that I'm happy?" She rinsed the cup again, running it under the faucet and then shutting the water off.

See-more blushed, his sensitive nature showing through. "Of course not!" He handed her a dish-towel, and Jinx wiped the glass of before stowing it in a cabinet. "But you're really nervous now. As if… something bad is happening.

Jinx sighed. "See-more…" she shook her head. "I can't tell you what's been going on, alright?" She touched his cheek, a friendly sign of affection. "You wouldn't understand." She started to move out of the kitchen, but See-more blocked her way.

"I can understand a lot of things, if you'd just tell me."

Jinx put her hands to her eyes, pressing in tightly before grasping his hand. She was tired of hiding. Someone had to know. "Come with me."

She tugged him down the stairs and into her room. After making sure the door was securely shut and there were no listening devices, she set him on the bed. "Listen careful and… promise you won't tell a_nyone_? Not a soul?"

See-more looked confused. "Jinx, what's-"

"No!" She interrupted him briskly. "Just listen, and please… promise you won't tell?"

See-more hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

"Alright." Jinx worked quickly, opening her closet and pulling out a suitcase. She set it on her bed next to See-more, and then began to haphazardly tear things out of her closet and throw them in the bag.

"I've been hiding something from the whole team for a long time." She paused to look at him. "Do you remember Kid Flash? The one we tried to capture and give to Rogue?"

See-more nodded. "He was difficult."

"I know." Jinx sighed, and then pulled another article of clothing away from her closet. "Well, the thing is, I've been… in a relationship with him for the past three months, and I had been talking to him even longer before that."

See-more stood straight up. "Jinx!"

Jinx covered his mouth. "You promised!" She removed her hand only when he nodded. With a cleansing breath, she continued. "I know him now… It's so different, See-more. He's funny and energetic, and kind and patient and caring…" she drifted off, paused in her packing. "He loves me."

Snapping out of the moment, Jinx moved towards her dressed, taking out the folds of cloths and cramming them into the suitcase. "And I love him.

"After that fight we had a few days ago… the one in the electronics store?" See-more nodded as he remembered. "Well, Mammoth… I did hit him on purpose. I mean, I didn't want to, but it was different. Everything is different now." She finished with the suitcase and zipped it, pulling another -smaller bag from her closet and moving into the bathroom. She talked from there.

"I'm moving in with him, and eventually, moving in with the superhero ranks." She poked her head around the corner. "I'm leaving the H.I.V.E. Five, See-more."

She continued to pack, leaving See-more to digest for a while.

Evetually, he spoke. "But, Jinx…" He watched her as she swept things off her dresser and bed-side table into a third bag. "Why?"

She looked up at him. "I don't really know." Snapping that bag closed, she sat beside him, placing her hand on his arm in a comforting manner. "It just kind of happened."

See-more could only nod. Jinx was struck by a wave of guilt as she saw a tear slip down his cheek and land on his lap. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Can you manage without me?"

"Yes."

They embraced. "Will you help me with my bags?" See-more nodded, grabbing the large suitcase and hefting it out her doorway and up the stairs, to the main entrance. Jinx carried the other two, opening the way out. They walked outside, See-more behind Jinx.

Kid Flash zipped forward immediately, appearing from the shadows. He touched Jinx's arm, then caught sight of See-more and froze. Jinx quickly explained. "He knows, I just told him. It's alright. He's alright."

Kid Flash nodded as See-more set down the suitcase. They stared at each other for a while before See-more offered his hand. "Hello."

"Hey." They shook hands, and Kid Flash nodded. "Thanks."

See-more shook his head. "Don't mention it." He turned to Jinx. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, See-more."

They hugged again, a lasting one. Jinx added hurriedly, "Tell them I got hired by someone else... and I'm working for them now?" See-more nodded.

Jinx finally pulled back, walking back to lean into Kid Flash.

See-more turned and walked back into the building, but paused by the door. He turned back to Kid Flash, and said, "Take care of her."

Kid Flash smiled, "Don't worry. I will."

See-more nodded, his eyes flitting back and forth, and then the door closed.

Darkness.

Jinx rolled her head back on Kid Flash's shoulder. "That was harder than I thought."

Kid Flash rubbed her back comfortingly. "I know. But it'll be alright." He picked up her suitcase. "Are you ready?" His blue eyes questioned her.

Jinx laughed, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "No, but let's go anyways."

And so they did.


	18. A New Outlook

_A/N: I am very sorry for the delay. When I got up this morning the doc upload was FINALLY working. I've been trying, and now is the first opportunity I had. I think I'm going to be updating more often. I'll try for every five days instead of once a week. _

_ Also, I thought it funny that only one person caught my little mention of Jinx sweeping her bangs from her eyes. She has no bangs! _

_Hahaha… love you! And enjoy!_

**Chapter Sixteen: A New Outlook**

"Jinx, I swear they'll love you." Kid Flash grinned his cheesy grin. He had definitely experienced a change in attitude since the previous night. Not having to worry about Jinx, and what she was doing, had clearly lifted a burden off his shoulders. He put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly and then tugging at her wrist again.

"Wally, I beg to differ. An…" she shook her head. "An arch-enemy appears on the Titans' doorstep. 'Hey, guys, can I join the team?' I don't know."

Kid Flash opened the door, gesturing to the hallway outside his apartment. "No, no, no. It'll be fine." He danced a little jig, obviously excited. "Let's go right now!"

Jinx crossed her arms. "I'm not even dressed right." It was true. She wasn't in her usual uniform, but instead in plaid pajama pants and one of Kid Flash's sweatshirts. It said _Star City Track & Field_ on it, with a pair of flying shoes under the bold red writing.

"Well then get dressed."

Jinx proceeded to point behind her to the open window. "Plus it's eleven in the morning. On a Saturday." She flitted a hand. "Don't you hero people sleep at this time?"

"Usually…"

"Besides you, of course."

"Of course." Kid Flash shrugged. "It's the fast metabolism."

"Of course."

Jinx turned around to sit on the couch, which had served as Kid Flash's bed. Blankets were still scattered messily along the top, and Jinx absently started folding them. "You know, this isn't something I can just ease into."

"I know."

"You have to understand that I'm nervous. Or is it being nervous? Well, whatever it is, this isn't natural for me."

"I know."

"So don't try and rush me. I have to get comfortable being… not bad first."

"I won't."

"This is just hard for me to accept. You know, this isn't good for my rep."

"I know."

"I'm tough. I'm not supposed to give in. And now I have? That really isn't natural. I mean, how can you expe-"

Kid Flash bent over the couch's stiff back and kissed Jinx. She smiled, but shoved him off. "Stop it."

Kid Flash hopped over to sit by her. "So when do you want to go?"

"Never!"

Kid Flash laughed, "You can't put it off forever!"

"I know." Jinx slumped forward, looking defeated. She paused in her folding. "Next week?"

Kid Flash looked stern, but a playful smile lilted on his lips. "This week."

Jinx bit her lip, searching in her mind for another option. "Tomorrow?"

"Today."

"Agh! Fine, fine." Jinx stood, throwing the stack of blankets off the table and into his lap. "You're impossible!" She stalked towards the hallway door, paused, and shook a finger at him. "Stop pressuring me!" And then stomped down the hall. Kid Flash heard the bathroom door slam, and then the shower started.

He sighed with a smile, rolling his eyes. "Girls."

-:-

It was only a short while later that Jinx emerged from the bathroom, dressed for success and ready to rumble. Her pink hair was sculpted perfectly into their devil horns, and she had tinged her cheeks with a light pink blush. It added a mischievous flush to her face.

"Wally!" she said. "What time is it?"

There was no reply.

She quietly walked to the living room, glanced around the kitchen. "Wally? Where are you?"

A quiet snore answered her question.

With a small smile, Jinx leaned over the couch to see Kid Flash splayed out, a blanket spread over his lap and a look of pure contentment wiped over his face. His hair was mussed, half going to the left and the other sticking straight up.

Jinx grinned, tiptoeing around the couch to plant a kiss on his cheek. Kid Flash grumbled, flapped a hand and then rolled onto his side. Jinx stifled her laughter. "You're just too cute." With a sigh, she tapped his shoulder. "Wally."

Wally responded with another snore, turning to face the couch back. "Wally." He shrugged.

"Lemme alone."

"Wally, time to go." Jinx shook his shoulder. Then a brilliant idea struck her. She placed her hands on his ribs and dug her fingers into his side.

Kid Flash's eyes flickered open, and he started laughing. "Stop!"

Jinx grinned. "Wake up!"

"I'm awake!"

"Wake up!"

"_I'm awake!"_

"Wake up!"

Kid Flash pulled her down on top of him, tickling her in revenge. "I'm awake!"

Jinx squealed, squirmed in his lap and put her hands on his arms. "Stop, stop, stop!" Then a visible bolt of pink energy raced from her fingertips to his palm. He snapped back as if burned. Jinx immediately recognized her error. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She placed a hand on his chest, leaning closer to grab his hand. "I'm sorry, Wally. It was an accident."

Kid Flash stuck his fingers into his mouth, made a sound of discomfort and then said, "It's alright."

Jinx nodded. "Rinse your hand under hot water, and it should be fine." At his questioning look, Jinx explained. "I've done it to my team before."

"Not your team anymore!"

"I know… my _ex_-team."

"Good." Kid Flash stood, stretching his arms over his head. Then, unexpectedly, he made a scrunched sort of face.

Jinx touched his arm. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm starving!"

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't we go get lunch and then… you know. Whatever."

Kid Flash waggled his eyebrows. "I can go get it, and then we can eat here. Remember, the police don't know you're a good guy yet."

Jinx nodded. "I didn't think of that one."

"Well, that's why I'm Kid Flash." He waggled his eyebrows. "I know everything."

Jinx punched him in the shoulder. "Go get your food."

"Alright, alright. At least I'm still in my civvies." _Civvies_ was slang for common, civilian clothing.

When he returned, he held bags of Chinese food in his hands. "There's this awesome place down in the mall. They call it the Imperial Gardens or something." He cleared the small dining table with one arm, sweeping papers and a t-shirt onto the floor. "Best place in Star City!"

"You went down to Star City?"

Kid Flash nodded. "I like their Chinese best!"

They ate, talking quietly. Kid Flash cracked jokes about the nutty flavor of his shrimp, and Jinx ended up spitting rice all over her plate, but that was all right. They were in love, and that made things okay. That made everything okay.

After finishing, Kid Flash changed into his super suit, then rushed them towards the Titans Tower.

After prying Jinx away from the water edge, Wally had to pull her against braced heels. Jinx could see two thin lines receding in the dirt behind her. It was funny. But, looking upon the massively intimidating building wiped any thought oh humor from her mind.

This was it.

Jinx, unable to control her thoughts and emotions, rolled possible future circumstances through her mind. She could see the Titans ganging up on her once inside the building… she could see Robin handing her over to the police. She could see herself, in power inhibitors, jailed in some miniature cell. She saw herself alone. She didn't see Wally.

Jinx hesitated outside the foreign headquarters, suddenly feeling her food boil around in her stomach. Her throat tightened, and Jinx clutched Kid Flash's uniformed arm. "Wally!" She breathed, almost gasping the word.

Kid Flash glanced back to her, and, realizing how upset she was, turned around and folded her up in his arms. Jinx quivered. Had she ever been this afraid before? "Look, it's going to be alright! Even if they don't like you I'm still going to stay with you!"

_Was that what she had truly been fearful of?_

It was like a storm had cleared. Her mind opened up, and now a different story plowed through her thoughts. She saw herself, strong and powerful, dominating and confident. She saw herself, relaxed, knowing she was safe. She saw herself, Wally be her side.

Jinx strengthened, working her way out of Kid Flash's hold. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay then." With that figured out, Jinx straightened her shoulders and stomped up to the door. Kid Flash scrambled behind her, totally taken aback by this new and powerful, confident girl. Jinx approached the door, eyed a camera in the corner and grinned. With a mischievous, almost wicked smile painted on her lips, she knocked.

There was a moment or two, then a button beeped and the door flew open. A tall, beautiful girl stood there, a ruffled apron tied across her uniform. Her hair fell around her shoulders in red and orange shades, set ablaze by the sun streaming around. This was whom Jinx recognized to be Starfire, the abnormally strong alien girl. Jinx remembered she could also fly. "Hello friend! How can I-"

She stopped dead as she recognized Jinx… pink eyes, devil hair, playfully evil grin and all.

Jinx smirked back confidently in return. Her eyes lit up. "My name's Jinx. I think we've met before."


	19. Lets Say Hello

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews, and though I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I only got nine! Kind of pathetic… Anyhow, **this is the last chapter.** Do you think I could go off on a bang? Looooots of reviews? I would like to break the 400 mark if at all possible (Not 400 reviews from you, 400 reviews in total, which would mean only about 15 reviews.) That would really make my day! And, just so you know, there will be a sequel. I'll get it up in a day or so. Thank you for sticking with me for so long!_

**Chapter Seventeen: Lets Say Hello**

Jinx was seated in the living room. She found herself examining the Titans Tower. A huge television greeted her, along with a game system. A window larger than Kid Flash's was set into the wall, and the view was phenomenal. The ocean wavered right under their doorstep. The sun beamed out at the Tower in the distance, its red disc burning brightly. A kitchen was attached to the living room. A long hallway with numerous doorways must have led to the bedrooms.

Kid Flash and Robin were talking fervently in that hallway. Jinx could hear the undertone of their muttering.

Starfire was pacing in the kitchen, a bowl set in her arm. She was stirring the contents, which were a bluish-purple color, with a long wooden spoon. A look of confusion was engraved in her bright eyes, and her lips made a stiff pink line.

The young, green adolescent named Beast Boy sat in a chair in the corner, staring at Jinx with what looked like curiosity. He blinked at her, opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Jinx shot him a confident pink glare, her eyes flashing brightly. He gaped before turning to stare out the window.

The man made from machinery parts was tinkering down in a garage. Jinx could hear an engine revving. She remembered him from the time he had infiltrated Hive Academy. She also remembered the way he had looked at her. She didn't anticipate seeing Cyborg again, though he didn't seem to bother her as much as Robin, or the others.

Raven, on the other hand, she looked forward to seeing. The demon-child was in her room, meditating. At least, that is what Starfire had said after introducing herself and Beast Boy. Jinx could practically see her now, enclosed in a dark bubble, or hovering mid-air with her hands on her knees.

A loud shout made Jinx turn her head. Starfire flinched. "They don't _change_, Flash!"

"_She did!"_

Just at that moment, Raven came regally into the room.

Impeccable timing.

Her hood was up, and her violet eyes shone in the dark confines of the cloth. She turned to say something to Starfire, but caught sight of Jinx before she made a sound. She stared, and then said coolly, "What are _you _doing here?"

Jinx stood to answer her. "I've changed my ways. I'm an angel now." She smiled sweetly, her eyes glowing pink and then dimming once more.

Raven rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Angel? More like sorceress."

Jinx placed her hands on her hips. "Goth."

"Witch!"

"_Demon!"_

"Whoa, ladies!" Beast Boy jumped up, placing himself between the two girls. Jinx's eyes had lit up again, burning brightly. She held two spheres of pink in her hands. Raven's eyes had turned red, splitting into four. Long fingers of black laced the ground around the hem of her cloak. "No need to get hasty."

They stared at each other for a moment more before Raven turned and stalked back into the hallway she had come from. Jinx sat back on the couch, her head tilted to listen to Kid Flash's and Robin's conversation.

There were hushed words. Jinx had to strain to hear. "I'm not going to trust her." It was Robin. "We'll put her through a training simulation. See if she's Titan material. If she is, then I'll give her a communicator. But I won't trust her."

"Well, I do. That will be enough for the both of us." Kid Flash's quiet reply.

After a long silence, Robin walked, with an air of command following, into the room. He wore the usual red, black and green uniform, his mask attached faithfully to his brow. Kid Flash entered the room after him, looking a bit irked. Robin approached Jinx, and she stood. The room seemed to freeze.

"To determine if you're fit for our team, I've set up a simulation for you to try." Robin spoke with cold words. "You're not guaranteed a spot in our organization. You're going to have to work because of your history. Of course, you understand?"

"Yes." Jinx nodded solemnly.

Robin glanced around the room, taking in the faces of his comrades, Jinx, and Flash. "Alright. Lets begin."

-:-

Jinx somersaulted, flipped and twisted. This was more of a challenge than she had ever come across. Boulders and rocks were shot out at her, and she had to maneuver around them and then destroy them before they came around for a second chance. Arrows and small tracking missiles were fired at random. Jinx was exhausted, but it didn't stop.

She performed numerous acrobatics to avoid gunfire and bombs. She had already landed on a small mine, and it had thrown her across the room. She learned to watch where she stepped after that.

There was a faint clicking, and then a sound like something was charging up behind her. Jinx turned to see a red dot beaming out at her. She looked down to see the same dot on her stomach. She cursed under her breath before flipping to the side. A line of red shot just after she moved. It sizzled against a wall before burning out. Jinx crouched, shot a hex, and rolled. The laser fried before sliding back into the cold metallic floor.

Pillars exploded out of the ground, and Jinx back flipped before jumping up and landing on the top of one. She leaned down to watch as the five pillars stretched to almost the top of the facility. Then, small circles opened in the side and heat tracking missiles shot out. All were aimed for Jinx. She rolled, falling off the high shaft before sliding and dropping gracefully to land on her feet. Before the missiles could lock onto her again, she charged her energy as best she could and placed her hands on the pillar nearest to her. It fizzed with pink energy before shutting down and sliding back into the floor.

Trying to distract and avoid the missiles as best she could proved to be quite a challenge. She had to disable each pillar and stay out of the way of the missiles, but it was possible. She repeated this operation with the four remaining before sliding to a stop. Everything became quiet once more. Nothing was jumping out at her, nothing was trying to kill her.

She looked up, to a black strip of wall that served as the observation booth. "Am I done?" Nothing else was happening, so Jinx assumed...

A loud voice echoed through the spacious arena. "Yes. Stay where you are."

A doorway opened to her right. The same she had used to enter. "Exit." The same voice instructed her. Jinx sighed, leaving the room at a hurried clip. That had to be the hardest workout she had ever encountered.

Robin had probably set her into a high standard because he expected more out of her.

...Or was it because he wanted her to fail?

Jinx waited in the hallway. She leaned over, her hands on her knees. Jinx's breath came in quick pants, her cheeks red and sweat rolling down the side of her face. Kid Flash was by her side in a rush of wind. "You did fantastic!"

Jinx rubbed the back of her neck wearily. "Thanks."

They heard Robin before they could see him. His shoes knocked against the stairways noisily. He beckoned to the both of them to follow him. Jinx and Kid Flash exchanged glances, and then went after him.

Robin stopped in the living room. Everyone was there now. They had all watched her during the simulation. Cyborg shot Jinx a huge smile.

Robin gestured to the couch. "You two can wait here while the team and I talk about this." With a brisk nod, the team rose. He led them down the hallway to talk. Beast Boy sullenly trudged after. Raven made her exit with poise and grace. Starfire glided out silently, and Cyborg followed, giving Jinx a thumbs-up before turning the corner.

Kid Flash turned to Jinx as she sat. "You did really well!"

"It was difficult, but I think I did alright." She touched a burn mark on her leg from when the mine had blown her across the room. Soot and dirt were smudged along her cheekbones and hairlines, where sweat was still drying. "I think Robin put me on a really high difficulty level."

Kid Flash nodded. "He did."

"He doesn't trust me."

Kid Flash shook his head, agreeing. "I know."

"Well, he'll learn." She smiled, and then ran a hand over her eyes. "Ugh."

They waited the rest of the time in silence. Jinx remained in her slouched position, Kid Flash paced restlessly. Jinx could see that he was nervous, unlike the confident man he had seemed to be not too long ago.

Twenty minutes later, the Teen Titans filed back into the room. "We've reached a decision." Robin said when Jinx stood. He examined her briefly, taking in her tired appearance. Jinx squared her shoulders and set her jaw, lifting her chin into a confident look. "Jinx."

"Yes?" Jinx replied to his statement with a strong demeanor.

"Welcome to the Teen Titans."

-:-

Jinx smiled as the team cracked up again. Beast Boy and Kid Flash were competing in jokes, and Flash was winning. Though BB had killer impressions when he imitated both people and animals, Kid Flash had an insane amount of wit to go with his boyish charm.

Jinx and Kid Flash had returned to their apartment to let Jinx clean up, and then they went out for pizza. Robin told Jinx he had contacted the police department and had given them the information needed to declare Jinx a hero instead of a villain. All charges against Jinx had been dismissed.

Now the sat, bunched around one of the tables. This was their tradition, Starfire explained to her. They came here often sometimes to celebrate, sometimes just because. Now was a celebration.

Raven sat opposite of Jinx, sitting by Robin. Starfire ate happily on his other side. Kid Flash sat by Raven, and Jinx by Kid Flash. Beast Boy sat between Starfire and Cyborg. Cyborg sat beside Jinx. The seven of them filled the round table completely.

Raven glared at Jinx over her slice of pizza. She chewed quietly, keeping both eyes, unblinkingly, on Jinx. Jinx kept her neon eyes bright, staring back with a confident smirk on her face.

Robin looked to be contemplating Jinx's unexpected arrival. This had to be the last thing he was expecting. How often does an enemy walk up and swear she's turned around? Not often, that was for sure. He set down his pizza crust just as Beast Boy opened his mouth to retaliate a remark from Flash.

"Jinx," he addressed her with formality. "you are a member of the Titans, but you can't stay with us. The Teen Titans is a specific group of us five" he glanced around the table. "and there is no room. Since you have been with Kid Flash for the past few months," Robin shot a slight glare to Flash, who smiled cheekily back. "you could stay with him. You can join Titans East, or you can go off on your own. Whatever you choose, you are with us now. The heroes, the good side." He gave her an accusing look. "And that's permanent."

Jinx grinned. "I know. And I'm glad you've accepted me." She fingered the new communicator attached to her belt.

There was a short silence, and then Cyborg bellowed out laughter and clapped Jinx on the shoulder. She almost made a face-plant in her pizza before grinning. "Thanks." The table exploded into friendly talk. Except for Raven and Robin. They were both silent, though Robin sported a grin.

Jinx could tell they both didn't trust her.

-:-

It was late when they got home. Jinx stumbled into the apartment and collapsed on the couch. "Long day."

Kid Flash locked the door behind him, then zipped over to sit beside Jinx. "How does it feel? To be good?"

"Nice, I guess." She leaned her head on Kid Flash's shoulder. "I didn't think it would be this easy."

He looped an arm over her shoulders. "Well, it was. Welcome to the Titans, kid. Welcome to the good side."

Jinx grinned. "Welcome. I haven't heard that in a long time."

Kid Flash chuckled. "Well, get used to it, because people will love you wherever you go, now."

Jinx looked up at him, then out the window to the city. Titans Tower gleamed in the distance. It stood proudly, a symbol of protection over the city. For the first time, Jinx looked on it not with hatred or loathing, but with respect, and with a glad feeling in her. She knew what others knew now.

"I would like that."

**Fin**

_A/N: Remember to watch for the sequel, "Other Side of the Light"!_


End file.
